You Are Essential (Even If The World Says You’re Not)

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

For weeks now we’ve heard this phrase “essential workers.” We’ve seen it splashed across headlines and ticking across the bottom of news stations. We’ve applauded the heroes on the front lines, the men and women who have had little-to-no-option to stop working during these days. These people should fully and certainly be celebrated and thanked.

For some, the word “essential” is a lifeline as their professional work has been deemed necessary in the midst of this global crisis. For many others, however, this word has been the dirge sung over their jobs and careers. Thousands and hundreds of thousands of people around the world have been let go from their profession because they didn’t fall under the umbrella of work that was essential during these days.

This creates a difficult tension because so many people associate their worth with their work. I find myself making this associate more than I’d care to admit. In a success-driven world, it is so easy to find our value in what we contribute, in what we do for work on a day-to-day basis. It can become a vicious cycle. When work is going well, we feel great and have an added bounce in our step, like a sports team on a winning streak. But when work turns sour, our entire demeanor can change, like a black cloud is constantly hanging just feet above our heads.

If you have ever or currently found yourself in this story, this article is for you. There are a lot of people waking up today wrestling with job insecurity. Maybe you’ve been let go, furloughed, or your job now looks very different than it did two months ago. Maybe tomorrow is uncertain and the months ahead are unclear. Regardless, here is what I know to be one-thousand percent true: you are essential.

You are extraordinary. You are worth waking up for and worth investing in. You have amazing talents and gifts with a combination of skills that is completely unique to you. You are a snowflake, a thumbprint, a one-of-a-kind, never-before-seen, non-duplicatable contributor to this journey we call life.

No matter what the world may say about your profession, hear this from someone who doesn't know you but wishes he did: you are essential.

You are worth loving

Because of the nature of my job, I occasionally get to talk with people who are hurting and who just need someone to listen and be available. I recently had the opportunity to talk with a mother who had lost her son to suicide three years ago. She told me his story, crying softly and taking pauses when the memories made speaking too difficult.

As we wrapped up the call, I offered to pray with her and as we went to hang up, I told her, “you are so worth loving.” I could tell she smiled and I hope she walked away from that conversation knowing that someone cared about her and saw her for who she truly was.

Those words are true for you today as well. What happened in the past doesn't define you. The pain and the hardships and the horrors that you may have experienced are not the talking points of your story. There may be moments during these weeks when you feel unworthy or unloveable. Moments of frustration mixed with fear. But you are worth loving, every part of you.

You are valuable

You have value and worth inherently because you are alive. Your value is not tied to your profession but to your person. Staying at home has not degraded how valuable you are, even if it feels like the world around you is shutting down every outlet for you to express your giftings. Because you have breath, you have value. Don’t let this stay-at-home season convince you otherwise.

One of the many reasons you have value is because you are unique. There is no one else in the entire world with your experiences, your relationships, your particular range of skills, and your motivations. You are uniquely equipped to step into the very moments you find yourself in right now. Exclusivity and rarity have always contributed to value. If you are the only one of you in the world, then it goes without saying that you have extreme value.

You are gifted

This stay-at-home season has strained a lot of our natural giftings. Extroverts and highly relational people have been isolated from face-to-face community. Working parents have suddenly become homeschoolers and educators. These days have stretched all of our skillsets in ways we may have previously not felt before.

But just because you’re stretched doesn't mean you are broken. You have skills and talents and you have an ability to contribute to the world around you. Maybe you are a fantastic encourager of people and you could leverage that gift to love your neighbors during this time. Maybe you are patient and wise so being a good listener for your friends or family is a gift you can offer. Regardless of the outlet, you are essential during these days because you are gifted and designed to leave an impact on the world around you.

You are in progress

This has been perhaps the greatest area of encouragement for me personally during this COVID-19 Crisis. I am in progress and that is okay. You may be feeling the backlash of not having what is deemed an essential job but you as a person as extremely essential in large part because you are in progress.

Being in progress means that you have endless opportunities ahead of you. If you are in progress, you have not arrived at your end destination. You can’t be written off as being maxed out because you still have amazing and stunning days ahead. You are not at the end of your story. You are not stagnant. Even if you are down, you are not out of luck, and tomorrow may bring a ray of light that lifts you back on to your feet.

You are not essential because you are perfect. Perfection is a dangerous myth because it always seems slightly attainable but mostly out of reach. There is contentment in knowing you are in progress. It means you can give yourself grace, that it’s okay to not be okay and that you don’t have to be a superhero all of the time.

Take courage

These days, maintaining a balanced sense of mental health can be a challenge. The circumstances at hand could tip the scales towards an increase in anxiety, depression, and fear. But in the darkness, there is potential for great dawn to shine forth. Every shadow is fed by a source of light. This is not the end. You are more essential, more worth loving, more valuable, and more gifted than you can imagine. Take courage and step back from the darkness. You are a beautiful work in progress and the world needs to know your beauty and hear your song.