In the last twenty-five years, in my work with businessmen, one cannot help but notice how men get their identities in life based on their work and how well they perform in their work. I think this is also true of women.

Recently I read about the great jazz musician, John Coltrane. He not only played music, but composed it as well. Many consider him one of the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20^th century music.

At one point in his career, he humbly asked God to be given the means and privilege to give people great joy through his music, and to inspire them to realize more and more of their capacity for living meaningful lives.

Then one night, after an exceptionally brilliant performance of the suite, A Love Supreme—a thirty-two- minute outpouring of praise to God—he stepped down from the stage and was heard to say, “Nunc dimittis.” These are Simeon’s words in Luke 2 after he had seen the promised Messiah. They mean, essentially, “I could die happy now.” Coltrane claimed to have had an experience of God’s love that liberated him from the work under the work for the sake of the work itself. He had been given God’s power and had felt God’s pleasure. Coltrane had stopped making music for his own sake. He did it for the music’s sake, the listener’s sake, and God’s sake.

The Christian view of life is that we have all been given a calling based on the way God created and designed each of us. Your life is not an accident. But what does one do if they have a job that is tedious and does not produce the kind of income they desire?

Tim Keller provides great insight into this when he said, “It’s liberating to accept that God is fully aware of where you are at any moment and by serving the work you’ve been given you are serving Him.” This enables you to gladly accept whatever level of success and accomplishment He gives you in your work, because He has called you to do it.

When you have this perspective on your work, you will have the power to work with a free heart.

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.