Print This Article     Email This Article to a Friend       Keys to Loving What You Do   "I have to go to work again?" Have you ever started your morning with that question? Apparently, you're not alone. According to a recent article in Industry Week magazine, more Americans are unhappy in their jobs than ever before. From the assembly line to the boardroom, people are expressing dissatisfaction with their experience in the workplace. If you can identify with this trend, I have good news for you. You can find contentment in your job, no matter what you do for a living. Once we identify the common causes for unhappiness in the workplace, we can be sure there is a biblical solution for overcoming that challenge. Dog Eat Dog For example, past surveys in Industry Week magazine have shown that seven out of ten women and six out of ten men genuinely dislike their jobs. Many of these unhappy workers point to a common cause. More than half of those who responded said they don't have fun at work because of a lack of teamwork and a "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere. It sounds like the American workplace needs a healthy dose of what the Bible calls "preferring one another." You see, it's not low wages making millions of Americans miserable on the job. It's bad relationships. It was just this type of atmosphere the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote Galatians 5:15: But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! (NKJ ) You can break the cycle of backstabbing and competition in your workplace by making a decision to prefer others and treat them as you would want to be treated. God will honor that decision by bringing you increase and promotion. And your workplace will become more pleasant in the process. More Money Many people who feel unhappy on the job make the mistake of thinking that earning more money will make those feelings go away. But a few years ago, Yale professor Robert Lane found no correlation between income levels and enjoyment in the workplace. In other words, your happiness on the job is not really a function of how much you make. There are lots of miserable people making six- and seven-figure incomes in this country. And many of the tragic suicides that occur each day in this country are committed by wealthy and "successful" people. Professor Lane stumbled on a principle that's been in the Bible for thousands of years. Proverbs 10:22 states that unless you prosper God's way, there can be a lot of sorrow mixed with your money: The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (KVJ) Don't look to money to bring you happiness on the job. Do what you're called to do; do it as unto the Lord, and the money will take care of itself. The Fruit of Your Labor Are you experiencing joy on the job or misery in the marketplace? Ultimately, the choice is yours. According to Psalms 128:1-2, when you apply God's principles at work, good things happen: Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. (KJV) Do you want to enjoy the fruits of your labors? Do you want to be happy and have things go well with you on the job? You can, as you fear the Lord, which is simply another way of saying, "Put God and His Word first in all you do." No matter who you are, no matter what you do, your job can be a source of fulfillment, blessing, and promotion for you. The key is discovering the practical principles in the Bible and putting them to work for you.
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