According to recent Gallup research, sixty-seven percent of the American workforce is disengaged from their work. This is tragic, not only because of the economic implications this represents for employers and our economy, but also for the individual. We spend so much of our lives at work that when we’re disengaged in our work we’re wasting our lives.
Why so much disengagement? I believe it’s because so many of us struggle to find meaning and enjoyment in our work. Getting a paycheck isn’t enough. “There is no income level at which people are not desperate for meaning,” writes NY Times columnist David Brooks.
Meaning in our work comes from reimagining it as a gift from God to be used for his honor and the well-being of others. “That’s nice,” you might think, “but how am I supposed to handle the high-stress environment where I work and the oppressive leadership style of my boss?”
The Bible teaches that while work is a gift, it’s also been cursed. Our work–just like each of us–is broken. For this, we need to learn how the love of God in Christ can refresh us in work’s most burdensome moments. Mother Teresa said, “Work without love is slavery.” The good news of the gospel is that Jesus loves us so much he became a slave for us. He worked himself to death so that through him we might find the refreshment we need to sustain ourselves in our work.