God doesn’t rejoice in your struggles.

The first time I felt hamstrung by a job was during the year after I left missions. I knew God had called me out of missions, and I knew he had provided this job. I was so grateful, and so used to being obedient (or trying to be!) that it felt like sacrilege to hate what God provided.

But y’all, I hated it.

Not at first. At first, it was challenging and new. The challenge and the novelty made it exciting. The excitement, together with a drive to do well, made me love my job.

For about three months.

As I mastered my (very repetitive) tasks, and every day rolled into the next with the same level of monotony, that excitement soon turned to dismay. Next thing I knew, I hated my job. I felt stuck.

Work is a necessary part of life, and for many of us, that means we have to work a job that isn’t our dream job. We have bills to pay, and bills don’t wait. Sometimes we just have to suck it up and go to work. But isn’t there a way to make it suck less? Isn’t there a way to uncover (or find) some meaning, even in a job you really hate?

Remember that God is Good

God gives gifts every day to remind you of his love.
Not an exact replica of the dreamcatcher I gave my mom when I was five. Source: Pexels : )

First things first when you want to find meaning in a job you hate, remember that God is good, and that He is madly in love with you. When things are consistently hard—like the daily grind at a job that sucks the joy out of you—it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “God must hate me.”

False.

God loves you BIG. He doesn’t rejoice in your struggles. God isn’t entertained by your restlessness or your despair. He allows them because they bring about a greater good for you and the world, but he takes no pleasure in watching you struggle.

But because he loves you, he finds ways to let you know it. Sometimes that looks like gifts every day to remind you that you are precious and beloved.

It sounds cheesy, I know, but it’s true.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a habit of giving gifts to people who are important to me. I remember telling my dad we had to buy a dreamcatcher for my mom because it was an “I love you” gift. I was maybe four or five, but even then, I knew—when you love someone, you show them!

God does the same thing with us. Every day, he sends you a token to remind you that He sees you, He knows you, He loves you, and He awaits you.

As you search for meaning, make sure your eyes are open wide for the gifts God is showering you with, even in the difficult situations.

Remember What Love Demands

Even at a job you hate, there are opportunities to share God's love.
Source: Pexels

Love demands a response. God’s love, which is freely given, unconditional, and purely un-earned, demands a greater response.

He invites you to participate in this love and to be His hands and feet in a hurting world. God invites you to give away love like candy tossed at a parade.

The people you work with? Your boss, customers, clients, coworkers, and vendors? They’re the ones God has given you to love.

Make no mistake: God’s love isn’t all greeting-card clichés and unattainable ideals. Isaiah 58:6-10 gives us a glimpse at what God’s love is really all about. This passage talks about fasting, and what makes fasting authentic. When you read this passage, try replacing “fast” with “love,” and see what happens.

When you choose to share the kind of love God asks for in this passage, it’s easy to see how this would change your day-to-day life. According to the Scriptures, your job isn’t to pursue excellence, but to give generously to the poor. Your job is to work for freedom for the oppressed. Your job is to stop the accusation in your speech and the malice in your heart dead in their tracks, and replace them with a spirit of generosity—in your attitude, in your speech, in your heart, and most especially in your deeds.

Living a spirit of generosity at work looks a little different than it does out in the world or at home with your family or roommates. Here are some ways you can do it:

  • If your coworker doesn’t understand how a certain software works, you can take the time to teach her when she needs help next
  • When you see an injustice happening at work, you can start the meaningful conversation(s) needed to address the injustice and affect change
  • If your boss/customer/coworker annoys you, you can stop assigning blame in your heart and instead choose to believe the best in that person

Try cultivating this generous spirit for a month and see how it changes your daily work life.

Remember that God Provides

God always provides, even in the smallest of ways.
Source: Pexels

Finally, the third way to find meaning in a job you hate is to lean into God’s providence. He led you to this job for a reason. Choose to trust his goodness.

Commit to meeting him here, even when your job isn’t fun or requires more than you think you can give.

Surrender to your circumstances.

Pick up your cross.

Allow God’s grace to change you in this season.

You’re Free to Go

You're never truly stuck. You're always free to explore new possibilities.
You’re always free to explore the possibilities. Source: Carrie K. Miller

By way of farewell, I want to make it clear that you do have the freedom to find another job. If you try these tactics for six months and still hate your job, you absolutely can search for another one.

I would encourage you to look for a new job sooner rather than later if the dysfunction is too high. If it impacts your mental health or your wellbeing, get out!

Make sure you’re not running away from something because it’s hard. Life will always have difficulties, and we do ourselves no favors by running from them.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stay in a bad situation. God is with you in that difficult situation, but he is with you wherever you go. And that sets you free to find a new job—or at least apply. God will open doors when the time is right.

Be well, friends.