Before we look at how to renew our job satisfaction we need to first understand why we work and why work for so many is difficult. The simple answer to why we work is found in Genesis 1 and the story of creation. We work because we have been created in the image of God and God works. Genesis chapter 1 is the story of God working. God separates light from darkness, God forms the dry ground and calls it earth, God brings for vegetation on the earth, God places stars in the sky, God forms the fish of the seas and the birds of the air and God created animals that roam the earth and then God formed humankind in his image. For six days God worked look at Genesis 2:2-3. So we know that God works and since we are children created in the image and likeness God we have been created for work and in Genesis 2:15 & 19 we see that God invites Adam to join him in the work of creation.
Adam was invited to partner with God in working the land and then God gave Adam the job of naming all the animals. What an amazing thing, Adam couldn’t create the animals but God wanted him to experience the joy of creating so gave him the job of naming all the animals. What a fun job that would have been, and what an amazing partnership Adam got to experience – he was invited into partnership and got to work with God. So Genesis 1 and 2 shows us that we were created to work and that God intends work to be a partnership of blessing and joy, but for many of us it is not, so what happened?
As we read on Genesis 3 we see that what happened is that sin happened. Adam and Eve turned away from God and the consequence of their sin was not only that they were removed from the Garden of Eden, but work was no longer going to be a joy – it was going to be difficult, look at Genesis 3:17b-19a. Sin destroyed the joy and blessing of work and in many ways, sin still destroys the blessing and joy of work. The sin of greed and pride and fear and ego corrupt the work place and destroys our enjoyment of work and the satisfaction we can find in it. Sin makes our work difficult and demanding and it devastates us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
But this is not how God wants us to live. God does not want us to live under the curse of sin, God wants us to experience freedom, forgiveness, and new life which means that God wants to renew and transform our experience of work and find in our jobs not just satisfaction, but meaning and purpose and joy once again and the first step in this renewal process is for us see that all work is a gift from God.
Now the reason we know that work is a gift from God is because God called people from and to every type of job. We don’t know what Noah did before God called him, but God called him and equipped him with skills to be a ship builder. Joseph (in the OT) was a business manager and a administrator. King David started out as a shepherd. Nehemiah, who God called to undertake the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was first the wine taster for a King. Peter was a fisherman, Matthew was a tax collector and Paul was a religious leader and teacher but also a tent making or tanner. Because God used people from all walks of life and every job imaginable, we see that all jobs are valuable and every job is a gift from God.
One of the things that can begin to help us find satisfaction in our work is to understand that no matter what job we have, our work is a gift and therefore has meaning and value. It doesn’t matter what you do, your job is important. If you think about it, the person who cleans the hospital is just as important as the doctors, maybe even more important when it comes to stopping the spread of infection. Too many times the dissatisfaction with our jobs comes from feeling like the work we do isn’t important and that no one notices or values it, but when we begin to see that all work is a gift from God which means that all work has value and meaning, then maybe our attitudes begin to change. The work may not change, but our attitude towards our work can change which means our experience in working can change.
When we begin to see our jobs as a gift from God we will also begin to do what Paul tells us to do in Colossians and work at our jobs with all our heart as if we are working for the Lord. If our jobs are a gift from God then in some sense we are working for the Lord, but more than that, I think we need to see it like God intended it to be and that is as a partnership or working with the Lord.
Not only are all jobs a gift from God, but we need to look at our work as a vocation and not just employment. The word vocation means calling and if all work is a gift from God, then the job we have today is the job God has called us to and if God has called us to this job then God has something for us right where we are. God has something for us to learn or do in the job we have right now and as we begin to discover this we will find more satisfaction. So why has God called you to the job you have today? It may be for no other reason than to be his presence in that workplace. Maybe the reason God has given you the gift of your job is because he wants his light to shine in that place and he wants his grace to be experienced by those you work with, look at Colossians 4:2-6.
Paul’s job at that moment was to be a prisoner. As odd as that sounds, Paul did see that as his vocation. God had called Paul to that place to share his light and love and maybe that is why God has placed us where we are. Maybe you are in your current job just so you can share God’s light and love with those around you. If that is the case then we need to take seriously what Paul says in Colossians 4:5-6. Do we make the most of every day we go to work? Do we make sure every word we speak is seasoned with God’s grace and truth and love? Are we praying for opportunities to share God’s love in word and action? If doing God’s work in partnership with God becomes our focus at work then our attitude towards the job can change and we can find satisfaction in what we do because our reason for work has changed. It’s no longer about the job or the money – it’s about working with God.
Working with all our heart also means learning all we can in the job God has given us because sometimes God has us in a job today in order to prepare us for the work He has for us tomorrow. Think about King David. He started out as a shepherd and one of the things David learned as a shepherd was how to use a sling shot and how to be courageous in dangerous situations. God used that job to prepare David to take down the giant Goliath. God used David’s previous work experience to accomplish his purpose and plan and God may have you in a job right now in order for you to learn how to do the job God has for you next month or next year.
Every job I have ever had has helped me in ministry today. One of my first jobs was as a dishwasher and every football dinner I get to put those skills to use in the kitchen. My job as a nurse’s aide has made me more understanding of people who struggle with health issues. My job as a theater manager gave me some basic financial sand management skills that help in the administration of the church. Even my jobs working in the national parks helped me see that sometimes the work we do is just the means to the ministry. Sometimes God gives us a job so we can be the salt and light in the lives of our coworkers and there is can be great satisfaction in knowing that God has placed us in a job to be his presence and voice.
It also could be that the job we have today is preparing us for some larger mission God has for us in the world. Ruth Larwill was an ordinary soccer mom living in Brisbane Australia who had an ordinary job, spent lots of time with her family and loved to bake cakes. One day she heard God say to her, go to Cambodia and teach people how to make cupcakes. Ruth had never been to Cambodia, knew no one in Cambodia and had no money to get there. A few days later Ruth went to her job and her boss called her into her office and said, Ruth, we are very sorry, but we have miscalculated your pay and have underpaid you for quite a while, so here is a check for the what we owe you. Do you know how much money it was? It was exactly the same amount of money needed to purchase an airline ticket from Brisbane Australia to Cambodia. Her current job had prepared her for God’s larger mission.
Ruth went to Cambodia and found out that there is a huge market for specialty cakes and she found she could start a cake business with girls who had been rescued from human trafficking and prostitution and needed jobs to help restore their lives. Today Bloom is a thriving ministry which is saving and redeeming girls lives and they are baking cupcakes for the leaders of Cambodia and the world. God had given Ruth a job and a passion that prepared her for a larger mission in the world. So again, every job is important. The job you have has value and it can provide opportunities for ministry today and it can prepare you for a larger mission God has for you tomorrow – the key is to make the most of every opportunity God gives us and work at job as if we are working not FOR the Lord but WITH the Lord.
Two more quick things I want to say about how to gain job satisfaction, and we will look at these in more detail in our life apps series, but I think it’s important to say something here as well.
The third key to job satisfaction is knowing when to rest from our work. If we go back to Genesis, we see that while God was a worker and he worked hard for six days, God also took time to rest. God knew if he was going to go back to work and do a good job – he needed time to rest and reflect. Many times we don’t find satisfaction in our jobs because our jobs are consuming too much of our time. We were not created to work 7 days a week. We were not created to work 20+ hours a day. Our bodies, minds and spirits need rest and quality times of rest and reflection are essential to job satisfaction. I can also assure you that as you take time to rest, not only will your job satisfaction increase, but so will your enjoyment of family and friends and life in general.
So rest is essential to renewing our attitudes toward work, and so is encouragement. Everyone needs to be encouraged in the work they do which means that each and every one of us needs to encourage others. Look again at Colossians 4:3. When Paul asks the church to pray for him and his work he is not just looking for the help of God, I think he is looking for encouragement from God’s people. While we can’t always go around and ask people for encouragement, if all of God’s people made encouraging others a priority, everyone would be encouraged and if we encourage people in their work and they know that we value and appreciate what they do – their satisfaction in work increases.
This week there are two groups of people I want us to focus on encouraging and I want to invite you to work with God and encourage them. The first are all those who work in our schools. With school starting on Tuesday, there will be teachers and aides and counselors and bus drivers and cafeteria workers and janitors who will all be working hard and many of them do their work for very little money. I want us all to find ways to encourage them. If you know anyone who works in the schools – thank them. Bake them some cookies, send them a card, write them a note, let them know you are praying for them this week. Encourage them in some practical way. If you are going to pray for them – great, but then let them know you prayed for them so they can be encouraged.
The other group of people I would invite you to encourage are nurses. As you may know, this week Erin and Jordan Robison (Corina and John’s daughter and son-in-law) were expecting their third child and were almost ready to deliver the baby when the baby died. After spending some time with them in the labor and delivery unit at Mt, Nittany Hospital, I have to tell you that the nurses on that unit are amazing. The care and compassion they showed to the family was incredible and they do their jobs in difficult circumstances. But that got me thinking that the nurses on every unit are amazing. They have to work in some of the most difficult and emotional settings there are and they don’t know what they will find when they walk into any room at any given moment, and yet they do their work with grace and strength and compassion. My heart and life were encouraged this week by the nurses on labor and delivery and I would invite you to encourage the nurses that you know. If you have a doctors appointment, thank the nurses who are there. If you visit in the nursing homes, thank the nurses who are there. If you are visiting in the hospital, thank the nurses who are there – they have a hard job and do amazing work.
This labor day if you are part of the 55% of people who are not satisfied with your job and are just thankful for an extra day you don’t have to work, then there is something you can about it. Don’t quit, instead go to work tomorrow or Tuesday and see your job as a gift from God. Ask God what he is calling you to do and who he is calling you to be at your job. Learn everything you can for the mission and ministry God may lead you to in the future and strive for a healthy balance between work and rest. And then, help someone else increase their job satisfaction by encouraging them in what they do. Let them know their work is noticed and valued and deeply appreciated. Don’t endure the drudgery of work, redeem it and find God’s blessing.
Next Steps – Renewing God’s Gift of Work
1. Pray
• Thank God for your job. Whether it is a paid or volunteer position, thank God for the gift work He has given you to do.
• Pray for those who are looking for work.
2. Ask God to reveal His will for you at your job.
• Who at your place of work needs to experience God’s grace and peace and how can you share it?
• List ways God can use your current job to prepare you for future positions in work and ministry?
3. Rest and reflect
• Make sure days off aren’t filled with more work.
• Take time to reconnect with God, family and friends. (What can you do this holiday weekend to truly rest.)
4. Encourage Others
• Write a note to appreciation to one of our Growing in Faith or Bellefonte Playschool staff members or anyone who works in an area school district.
• Thank those who work as a nurse in any setting.
