The Questions we all hate, but still ask

So I’ve been in the States for about 9 months now, and I am overwhelmingly disturbed by a simple fact of life. It’s not that I just don’t like it—although that’s true. I think it is a sly maneuver by the enemy and we’ve all accepted it as the natural thing to do. I say, “Ask yourself what this habit says about us as a people and you as an individual. Would you have to change if you were to act true to what you actually think?”

The thing is, the first question people ask when they meet someone is, “What do you do?” Most of the time—unless they’re networking—they don’t really care. They want to know what you’re about, what you’re interested in, and what you know. Sometimes a job has an interest value of its own and brings up a good conversation piece. I wish I could re-meet people from these past 9 months to give a more accurate view of Kari Marshall and challenge them to think deeper when they try to get to know the next person. I’m not just in transition, looking for a job, a world traveler, a teacher of two years, or someone not up to much right now. No! My identity is not defined by my occupation or lack thereof, with whom I am connected, or even by what I do. I’d like to meet people and let them know who I REALLY am, to the core.
That’s a serious question to answer, which requires serious thought. The truth is, my identity is so wrapped up in Christ—in my relationship with Him—that there is NO way to separate the two. But to dive into some profound, revolutionary chat requires tact, but if done well, what a striking way to represent a life with the Lord!



I have to acknowledge the fact that who we are is also shaped by our experiences of what has happened to us and what we’ve done—including our occupation(s). I suppose my argument, to be applied practically, is to refrain from allowing your job or lack thereof to be your SOLE defining feature. Instead, make an effort to know yourself well enough to describe you without the use of your job. Make it a game; consider it a challenge; take it on as your new passion against mainstream society—think of it in whatever way to give you motivation to reject a label and present your SELF.

For the sake of honesty, I ought to fill in some more details. I haven’t had a steady job that brings in adequate income since coming back to the States, and due to shifting circumstances, my projected goals have been equally unsteady. The constant questions about jobs from both strangers and concerned acquaintances and friends have hit me like a tennis ball machine, and my situation has left me without a racquet. As time went on, I hid myself behind various things and people, all the while stress and slight depression were mounting up with each blow. My worth and self-projection were looking bleak, for what was I doing anyway? For several weeks at a time, I battled for truth of what Scriptures said about me and where my purpose lies. In my searching, I found God’s heart for justice for the weak (Is 61), the equipping of His saints (Eph 4:12), and bringing all people everywhere to Him (Acts 17:30). I also found that what was keeping me from embracing God’s heart to be my own was this question of occupation that constantly put my focus on myself, financial security, a title/company to identify with, and the push to validate myself as a working (and thereby useful) citizen. Sure there are virtues in these things, but they CAN’T be how we define ourselves. We have much more worth than that. Now that I’m employed again, I am working to not get sucked into the practice of placing my security and identity in my job.