How Do I Navigate Discontentment at Work? — Nashville Institute for Faith and Work

For most Americans, our work environment has changed radically over the past year and a half. While some workers have remained largely unaffected or have even benefited from the shift to remote work, the pandemic has had ripple effects that have altered many people’s jobs in ways that have left them feeling tired and discontent.

The Great Resignation, as economists are calling it, points to an important reality. This pandemic has brought many Americans (and others abroad) to a crossroads and caused them to reevaluate their sense of calling. Whether people have awoken to a desire for new work, or have become burnt out on the work they previously enjoyed, the pandemic has caused people to rethink their working lives.

thorns and thistles

One of the significant questions at the heart of this re-evaluation seems to be: what do I do if I’m not happy in my job? How do I know whether my feelings of discontent are a signal to leave my job, or whether I should stay put? Christians especially may be asking: what does Scripture say about work and discontentment?

“One of the significant questions at the heart of this re-evaluation seems to be: what do I do if I’m not happy in my job?”

From the beginning, we see that God created work as a good and foundational part of what it means to be human. As we see God working in creation, and then Adam and Eve tending to the Garden of Eden, it is important to see that work came before the fall (Genesis 1-3). Work was a part of paradise.

However, based on what God’s word says about the thorns and thistles that are inherent to all our workplaces because of humankind’s sin in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:16-19), we know that work will always be unnecessarily difficult. A gap will always exist between our hopes and realities at work. We will, to some degree, never be fully satisfied with our work in the world.

the sources of our discontent

For readers who are at that crossroads and are considering what your present discontentment means for your future career, it is important to consider what is beneath these feelings of unfulfillment at work before making a quick decision.

Here are some questions that might help you reflect on what is at the root of your discontent:

Do I feel that my job is secure?
Are my expectations of my experience at work biblically-grounded or out-sized?
Am I feeling overworked and in need of renewing the practice of Sabbath?
Do I feel that I am getting paid what I need to survive and what my work is worth?
Do I feel like a valued member of my team?
Is my job helping me to achieve the goals I set for myself?
Does my job feel integrated with the person I am and want to become?
Do I feel that the contributions I make every day are something God wants me to do?

While these are just starting questions, I encourage you to reflect on the sources of your discontent.

ways we can respond

Both Old Testament and New Testament believers had to deal with working faithfully in a broken world. You aren’t alone in living in this tension. So, how does Scripture invite us to respond?

We can ask God for wisdom, expecting Him to provide it as needed
We can pour out our hearts to God, lament our situation, and yearn for better days
We can look for other ways to change our work environment
We can pray for strength to endure the difficult challenges we face
We can begin looking and trusting God to lead us to find a new job elsewhere, if needed

With respect to the second bullet above, I was reminded recently of how the Psalms display the full range of human emotion, from the highs of praising God for His majesty to the depths of despair.

“Both Old Testament and New Testament believers had to deal with working faithfully in a broken world. You aren’t alone in living in this tension.”

David, as he considers his own dismal circumstances, cries out, “My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Ps. 6:3-4).

Later, knowing that God has indeed been gracious to him and that He has rescued and delivered him in the past, David asks the same big question regarding God’s timing, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps. 13:1-2).

David’s honest plea for God’s deliverance reaches new heights as he painfully exclaims, “How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?” (Ps. 80:4).

If you could express to God your own deep feelings of discontentment, frustration, and need of His deliverance, what would it look like? I invite you to actually write it out as an exercise of faith.

One of the main purposes that these Psalms of lament were included in this book is for us to know that God gives us permission to share our deepest hurts and disappointments with Him. Although we are called to work faithfully as unto the Lord, we are not asked to ignore our struggles or avoid dealing with them. We do not have to deny our feelings or try to just push through them. Instead, God invites us to pay attention to our longings and honestly cry out to Him.

the spiritual journey of discernment

As we offer our praises and laments about work side by side to God, how can we think well about discerning our next steps? Certainly, looking for a job will be a spiritual journey for the Christian. (I invite you to read an article I wrote recently on discerning God’s will.)

I believe that God is interested in leading us even more than we hope He will. I believe that when we maintain our relationship with God in the way in which the Bible describes it, walking with God the Father, abiding in Christ, and walking in the Spirit, we will be able to be receptive to God’s guidance.

During these turbulent circumstances, God may be preparing you to begin another chapter in your life. If you are forced to or decide to find new employment, God will be with you. If you decide to stay where you are, He is still with you. He will give you wisdom to make the best decision in His time.

On the one hand, with respect to looking for new jobs, Douglas Schuurman, in his book, Vocation: Discerning our Callings in Life counsels, “Adversity often becomes a spur for creative change and discovery of new places where God is calling us to serve.” On the other hand, Schuurman wisely points out, “Restless discontent with one’s present sphere, then, may not be a valid indicator of God’s call to a new sphere. It may indicate the need for renewed prayer and obedience within the existing sphere.”

“Ultimately, we need to remember that the gospel of Jesus Christ points to a day when He returns, and all things will be made new. ”

While discontentment at work may be an indicator that the wisest decision is to leave, is it not an automatic indicator that that is right. It is not always black-or-white. Deciding requires faithful prayer and discernment, both between you and God and in community. Seek out the wisdom of their family members, local church, and trusted peers. Share with them your concerns and openly invite feedback.

Whatever your current circumstances are in your job, I urge you to proceed deliberately by seeking God’s wisdom for your work. God will provide; God will lead; God will prepare the way for you to be where He needs you to be.

an eternal perspective

Although what we do on this earth is extremely significant and can be a true blessing when we find work that is a good fit, keeping an eternal perspective keeps our work in perspective. Ultimately, we need to remember that the gospel of Jesus Christ points to a day when He returns, and all things will be made new. The very real struggles that we had in these temporary bodies, even those we had at work for a majority of our waking hours, will eventually be replaced with a world free of the thorns and thistles that negatively impact every aspect of our work environment.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!