What Do You Do When Work Feels Empty?

I used to think the right job would fix everything. If I only found a role with the right opportunity, leadership, and paycheck, I believed fulfillment would naturally follow. So I worked hard, climbed the ladder of corporate America, and...was bored out of my mind.

The momentum was good, and promotions were on the horizon, but something was missing. I wasn't excited to show up every day and certainly wasn't energized. Deep down, I knew I was made for more than clocking in and out. I wanted to make a difference.

Watching two friends thrive in their careers was the spark I needed. Both had chosen service careers in law enforcement, and that realization led me to the California Highway Patrol, where I spent 14 years protecting and serving others, not for the thrill of chasing bad guys but because I wanted to make a tangible impact.


I had found work that aligned with my "why."

Over time, the physical toll of the job started to wear on me, and the years of wear and tear eventually caught up with my back. I tried to push through it, but it became clear that I couldn’t continue in law enforcement without risking further damage. Letting go of that role was painful, not just physically, but emotionally.

The Unexpected Pivot

The physical path I loved was no longer an option, and I was left asking: How do I still live my why if I can no longer do it the way I always had?

That question led me to financial advising, a different kind of service. Instead of safeguarding people physically, I now walk alongside families and individuals to help protect their financial futures. The heart of the mission stayed the same, but the tools changed.

Looking back, I realize now that work isn't just about the tasks we do. It's about the people we serve and the God we honor through our service.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37–39

Those two commands shape everything, especially our work. Whether we're building financial plans, repairing engines, teaching kids, or cleaning hospital rooms, every job becomes sacred when it's driven by love for God and love for others.

Find Your Sacred Collision Point

Maybe today you're feeling stuck in your work. What you do feels hollow, or the spark you once had has faded. If so, I challenge you to ask yourself three questions:

• When do I feel most alive and purposeful?
• What strengths has God wired into me?
• Where do those passions and gifts intersect with the ability to serve others and provide for my family?

When you can answer these questions, you will find your sacred collision point. It’s where your calling and work meet. You don't have to change careers to find it. Sometimes it's simply changing your perspective and seeing the sacred in the everyday, the eternal in the ordinary.

Like a guide alongside a fellow traveler, I won't shove you toward a "perfect job," but I will remind you that you were made for a life of meaning. Your work, whatever shape it takes, is one of God's greatest tools for loving Him and loving others well. So walk boldly into that calling today.