Take this job and SHOVE IT!!

In the year 1978, country song writer David Allen Coe wrote a song that expressed the views of the majority of people in the United States labor force. His inspiration to write the song came from the fact that many generations of men in his family had worked at one company and he vowed to never end up there. Johnny Paycheck later released his own version which topped the country music charts for two straight weeks. Since that time, approximately 32 years ago, the title of this rather blunt and crude tune has been echoed in the minds of Americans of all races, ages and backgrounds. It literally may be the most recognizable song title in all of American music. I dare say that if you randomly walk up to people on the street and ask them to complete the phrase, "Take this job and _____ __", every person you meet would get it right.

What is it about this song that makes it so popular to our culture? Why do some many people seem to resonate with this 32 year old tune? One obvious answer is that it is a very funny and entertaining song to listen too. Johnny Paycheck's version is further enhanced by his unique voice and down home country rhythm. Another reason it is so popular is because it is just plain fun to think of taking something that is a burden to us and simply "SHOVE IT!!" Here is another question, "Do you think the fact that the focus of the song is on a "job" makes it more appealing?" You better believe it does.

The simple fact is that most Americans, if being honest, would love more than anything in the world to take their job and shove it. In January of 2010 the Conference Board by TNS reported that in a survey of 5,000 U.S. households only 45% said they were satisfied with their job. These findings are the lowest job satisfaction results since they began taking it in 1987. In that year, job satisfaction was shown to be at only 61.1%. The percentage has steadily decreased from year to year. This is a staggering statistic when you understand that this survey has been tracked through years of great economic success and years of deep economic downturn. The past 30 years has produced astounding advances in technology which has led to a newer and more diverse job market than ever before. Yet, through it all our satisfaction with our work has steadily declined.

So many people simply wake up on Monday mornings with an ache in their stomachs realizing that another work week must begin. They get out of bed, get dressed, get in their car, get to work and hate the next 8 to 10 hours of their lives only to face that fact that tomorrow they will do it all over again. It is a feeling felt by janitors, school teachers, industry workers, even doctors and lawyers. One stinging sharp pain in the very depths of a person's soul which put into words exclaims, "I HATE MY JOB!" The reasons why people end up in jobs they hate are as numerous as the sand on the sea shore. They get stuck in an occupational rut that seems to be bogging down deeper and deeper as time goes by. In this situation one may exclaim, "So what is the point of what I am doing?"

Still, there are others, who despite the fact that they find little significance in their occupations, would not classify their feelings toward the job as hatred or disdain. For them, going to their designated work is simply something that they must do to pay the bills, keep a roof over their heads and put food on their plates. These modern American men and women do not spend all day despising what occupation they have fell into. They work hard, try to keep a positive attitude and then go home only to wake up the next day, and do it all over again. While the commitment of these people is something to be admired in some ways, there is still one simple question that even they are prone to asking themselves from time to time. "So what is the point of what I am doing?"

Why is it that well over half of the hard working men and women of this great country would like nothing more than to take their jobs and Shove It? Personally, I believe that the reason is summed up in one short sentence. It's because they are not doing what they are "Wired to Do". I believe with all of my heart that you and I were created by God for a purpose and for specific missions while we are here on earth. He made you, significantly different from anyone else that has ever been on this planet. You are uniquely wired to do certain things better than anyone else can. You have a destiny to do great things. And the sad part about it is that most of us fell off the path a long time ago and believed the lie that the work we do has no significance to it. It is now my mission to lead people back to the path of significance and fulfillment in the work they do. The one third of your life devoted to your occupation should be spent doing what you were designed uniquely to do. Let's put to rest any pain of the past and the excuses of inaction today and seek that significance we all long for deep in our souls. After all, it was God, Himself who put that significance there.