“I hate my job!” This is not an unusual complaint. In a Global Workplace survey, Gallup found that sixty percent of workers were dissatisfied with their jobs, another nineteen percent said they were emotionally detached, and a staggering nineteen percent reported they were “miserable” in their workplace environment. Job frustration is a leading cause of marital strife, anxiety, depression, and, eventually, professional burnout. So, how do we think Christian about our jobs?
Frustrated at Work
I understand what it is like to be frustrated at work. I spent the early days of my professional journey working in my father’s business. The work was hard but honest, yet it often seemed only to be a means to a paycheck. As much as I tried, I couldn’t see a purpose greater than paying my bills. Over the years, I have met many people in various industries who feel the same way.
Sacred Work
Our work becomes frustrating when we fail to see the spiritual meaning in our labor. For years, theologians have warned against the sacred and secular divide. Throughout church history, some have emphasized the importance of the “sacred” work that happens within the church. I have worked in ministry for over twenty years now, and I highly value preaching, teaching, counseling, and building up the inner life of the human soul. Church work is good work!
However, my problem was that I viewed “church” work as more valuable than repairing cars in our family business. In my immaturity, I believed non-church work was good but somehow “less than” the more important work of tending to the soul –as if our job does not influence the soul! This false divide left me feeling like my job had no eternal purpose; thus, I often grew more frustrated as I coveted those who worked in more “spiritual” fields.
Spiritual Connections
The older I get, the more I can see the spiritual connections to all kinds of work-related responsibilities. For instance, what I didn’t realize all those years ago was that every time we repaired a damaged car, we were engaging in the art of restoration. My hands engaged in actions that reflected the story of God’s love in sending his one and only son. How often did I miss the joy of participating in a smaller act that communicated the most incredible truth of all history?
Work as Formation
Moreover, I underestimated the significant role work plays in our spiritual formation. For instance, I didn’t realize my co-workers’ power in my formation as a man. I was privileged to work with my father, uncle, and other men who formed our work community. While my formation was not deeply theological— it was principled! I was formed in honesty, duty, and good reputation. During these years, I wanted to be in church work because I wanted to help people be formed in spiritual values. But I missed that for 8-10 hours a day; my work community offered a great opportunity to form others in Christian virtue while we worked on shared projects. No matter how hard we try in church work, an hour and a half on a Sunday and bi-weekly community groups is not the same as 40-50 hours a week in our career environment (I’m not saying to substitute one for the other—we need both!)
In my work as a tradesman, I also undervalued my role in contributing to the common good. My work allowed me to help single mothers with safe transportation. My role as a negotiator between insurance adjusters and customers was often one of justice for those who didn’t understand that world. As a young man, I never considered the greater good of putting safe vehicles back on the road and its importance for the safety of my community. The paradox of professional development is that we often learn these lessons in retrospect.
How to Think Christian About Your Job
So, how can Christian thinking help us stop hating our jobs and find fulfillment in our vocational calling? First, consider how your work affects others. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. If you hate your job, start to look for all of the ways your job helps or serves others beyond money. How does your employment benefit others? Real estate agents help people find homes to raise families. Auto mechanics help people stay engaged in a mobile society. Plumbers help to maintain standards that keep a community healthy, and so on.
Second, if you hate your job, start thinking about how it can positively shape your character and professional development. Deadlines can instill a sense of duty. Healthcare workers can grow in the virtues of empathy and long-suffering. Engineers can form one in the discipline of patience. Our work is not only what we do; it also works on us.
If you hate your job, you can expand your vision by asking, “How can I direct this work toward God’s redemptive plan for creation?” Christians are to acknowledge that all things are from him—this includes our current employment situation. If you hate your job, ask “How can I see all my work as a service unto Him?” And since our gifts, personalities, and opportunities originate from him, they must be directed toward serving Him. The work of a Christian is spiritual because it is to be done out of a motivation to serve God and others. Lastly, if you hate your job, ask “How does this contribute to God’s redemptive activity?” Our work is an extension of God’s work that started in Eden and will end in the Celestial City.
Finally, we often hate our jobs because we fail to see the greater meaning in our work and our God-given purpose. But it doesn’t have to be like this! The Christian vision of work unleashes creativity, beauty, and a comprehensive vision of the future in our professional lives. By embracing a biblical perspective on our careers, we can transform even the most mundane workplace tasks into meaningful contributions to God’s kingdom.
