When You Don’t Like Your Job

“Here we go again,” I said as I clocked into my shift at a local department store. I was newly married, working full time, and trying to get through seminary. That morning was a low point for me. I felt stuck at a job I did not like, surrounded by employees I did not get along with, and now I had another 12-hour shift to get through. As I walked through the store to reach my department, I wished I could float away from work and be elsewhere.

My experience is not unique. Many people struggle to find enjoyment and purpose in their work.

What if I told you that God completely transformed my attitude? So much so, that I went from watching the clock as a bored sales associate to being sad that my shift was over because there was more to be done.

The Passage that Changed My Life

What happened?

I discovered Colossians 3:22-23. During this season of not liking my job, I memorized this passage, recited this passage, and tried my best to apply this passage to my work life.

Here are two simple lessons I learned as this passage collided with my daily grind at the department store.

Lesson #1: You work for Jesus.

²² “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”

This verse fixed my motivation.

There is a motivation that is condemned and a motivation that is commanded.

Paul condemns being “people-pleasers.” This is when your performance at work is motivated by impressing your boss or your coworkers. Bad things happen when you are obsessed with people-pleasing. This motivation can produce crippling anxiety and fear toward your boss. It could also lead to making success at work an idol. You begin to worship the “at-a-boys” and live to please your boss. This obsession with people-pleasing is off-limits for Christians at work.

Paul commands us to work “for the Lord and not for men…” In other words, we are to view the daily grind of our work as service to Jesus.

During my season of not liking my job, this phrase transformed my attitude. I began to see the granular, mundane details of my job as service to Jesus Christ. When I unpacked boxes, folded sweaters, sold a shirt, or cleaned a fitting room, I told myself, “Jesus died for my sins and I am not really working for this department store, I am working for Jesus.” I cannot describe the joy that began to fill my life as I started to interpret every aspect of my job as an act of worship to Jesus Christ.

As you struggle to find joy and purpose in your work, be reminded that you are not working for that guy in a suit or a board of directors or the angry woman who says you got her order wrong – you work for Jesus. Whether you’re a plumber, lawyer, roofer, barista, or mother, you can discharge every work responsibility as an act of worship to the Son of God who loved you and gave himself up for you (Galatians 2:20).

Lesson #2: Jesus wants you to work hard.

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”

As I repeated this passage in my head, I could not escape the word “heartily.” The word evoked an image of a farmer pushing a plow through the soil with sweat dripping from his face. This word stripped me of any excuses to be a complacent, lazy, minimum-requirement employee. This word put passion in my heart to be a hard worker for Jesus.

As you think of how to apply this verse in your life, consider these two application points.

First, make it your goal to be the hardest working employee at your workplace. Make this your goal not because you want to impress people (see the first lesson) but because you want your boss and fellow employees to see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). You want to tell them about Jesus when they ask, “What’s wrong with you? Why do you work so hard?”

Second, work hard by taking your craft seriously. I’m not Amish and I don’t know a lot about them but I do know that they take their craft seriously. They invest time in mastering whatever they put their hand to, whether it’s making cheese or making furniture.

If you are a Christian, you should see your job as your craft, as an area of life in which you will cultivate knowledge, skill, and interest.

If you are a police officer, see policing as your craft. Read a book about how to become a better officer. Be curious about officers who are high performers and seek their advice. If you work at a coffee shop, make it your goal to know more about coffee than the customers you serve.

I remember taking my retail job more seriously. I began to research how clothes were made, the specs on different fabrics, the history behind different brands, how to be a better salesperson, and so forth. I was surprised at how pursuing a deeper interest in my “craft” also deepened my enjoyment of my job.

You should do this even if your current job will not be your career long-term. Treating your current job as your craft will establish a pattern of working “heartily, as for the Lord.”

Conclusion

If you don’t like your job, I want you to respond in a way that honors Jesus. Perhaps you can find a different job. That is a legitimate choice but that is also a topic for a different blog post.

My point here is that no matter what job you have, God has called you to work for Jesus and to work hard. If you are struggling with not liking your job, I want you to live in Colossians 3:22-23. Read it, memorize it, recite it, apply it, and God will transform your life. May the Lord give you joy as you honor him in your work.