How To Be Happy At Work

A few years ago, I co-led the pastoral search for a thriving, midsize church in a small city. In time, we identified an ideal candidate. Approaching age 40, he had the right skills and experience and recently felt a holy discontent with his limited role in a massive church. It looked like a perfect fit for both parties, but the man declined.

The reason? His family was settled in a nice city, near family, and with access to natural beauty.

On hearing the news, my co-leader asked, “Whatever happened to the concept of a call from God?”

It’s an important question, but it’s not the way many Americans, including believers, approach a decision like this. They often ask, Will I be happy? Will it be too stressful? Will it be meaningful?

Is it wrong to ask those questions? How can we think well about which jobs to pursue or opportunities to take?

Three Approaches to Work

Today’s career advice falls into three categories. Category 1 says, “Find work that you love and it will never be toilsome.” Category 2 says, “Find work that’s purposeful. You may work harder, but your labor will be meaningful and fulfilling.” Category 3 says, “Life is short, so find a job that meets your needs and requires no more than 35–40 hours of labor per week. Then live for nights and weekends, and retire early.”

Those in the third category have a point. We need to provide for our families (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Thess. 3:10). But those in categories 1 and 2 aren’t completely wrong either. Scripture says it’s fine to seek happiness through work. First, work brings the simple pleasure of eating, drinking, and sleeping: “Man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life” (Eccl. 8:15).

The Bible also says work can be pleasant in itself. Moses says, “The LORD your God will bless you in all . . . the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful” (Deut. 16:15).

So should we be aiming for a happiness in our work?

Happiness vs. Meaning

A few years ago, researchers compared the job satisfaction of people who aimed for enjoyment at work with those who aimed for meaning, or work that reflected their values. Perhaps counterintuitively, the survey found that people who pursue their values, rather than happy feelings, have “higher passion and job satisfaction, and lower turnover intentions.”

If we compare feeling good and doing good, doing good brings more satisfaction over time. Similarly, if we compare the pursuit of pleasure to the pursuit of purpose, purpose is more satisfying over time.

When we’re doing and feeling good, we feel an interest in our work. Neuroscientists found that “interest” is “the central motivation for engagement in creative and constructive endeavors and for the sense of well-being.”

There’s even a place for zeal or enthusiasm (Rom. 12:8). But if we’ve learned anything from Tim Keller, it’s to beware the ditch on both sides. If one side is a disinterest in and disengagement from work, the other side is obsession.

Affection vs. Obsession

Researchers studied 900 people who had a passion, including a passion for work. They found obsessive passion leads to joyless persistence in the “beloved” task. I can verify this from experience—in the past, I sometimes worked obsessively, acting as if my ministry’s success depended on my toil. I fell into foolish habits, like answering every viable email before going to sleep. But my obsession, my failure to trust others and the Lord, harmed God’s cause.

Taking breaks, leaving work undone, and resting in God’s providence formed me into a much healthier person. And I wasn’t the only one—the study found that when people could lay their passion aside, they concentrated better and had more joy. Researchers called this “harmonious passion.”

That sounds a lot like Jonathan Edwards’s definition of affection: an informed, settled disposition of the whole person—mind, heart, emotions—to value and commit to something that merits our affection.

Affection for Work

John Frame has outlined a God-centered approach to the search for work you can work hard at, feel good about, and find affection for.

First, recognize God gives gifts to humanity and to his people, including you. He also gives us his Spirit to help us discern our gifts (albeit fallibly!) through self-examination and the confirmation of those who know us well.

Then, God provides opportunities to develop and exercise those gifts. Keep your eyes open for volunteer or work experiences as they become available.

Finally, God grants wisdom to use our gifts for the common good.

Increasing Your Work for the Common Good

In most vocations, the first years are filled with tedious toil and little freedom or authority. Over time, you may increase your skills and take on more responsibilities. This may lead to more interesting work as well as better pay.

You can do this in more than one way. The best path for you may depend on your disposition and your industry, as well as external factors, such as social change or disruptions in your field. Here are four options identified by author and professor Arthur Brooks:

Path 1: The Ladder describes the classic linear ascent of corporate ranks from assistant to associate to partner. Workers receive training, mentoring, and experience. Through effective labor, they earn a series of promotions.

Path 2: The Mine describes the person who stays in one job for many years and keeps getting better at it. Lifelong engineers, inventors, teachers, and carpenters are miners. Miners don’t need promotions—and may refuse them.

Path 3: The Leap is the radical career switch—from rock musician to industrial salmon farmer, from physician to car dealer, from public relations to home repair. The leap may stem from several causes: (1) a long-suppressed desire for different work, (2) disillusionment with the current career, or (3) exigencies such as economic upheaval, technological dislocation, bodily injury, or a need to escape poverty.

Path 4: The Spiral describes the careers that move around in adjacent fields. A biologist, then a biochemist, then a biologist with vast knowledge of chemistry. Ideally, each job builds a new skills and capacities.

The path that makes sense for you depends on tastes, personality, and goals, and on your historical era, including upheavals.

Advice

If you’re wondering if it’s time to adjust your career, let me share a little advice.

First, consult people who know you well, who care about you, and who know the field you are in or are considering. If you’re still stumped, ask an expert who helps people understand their gifts. At the same time, explore. If your organization has roles that interest you, volunteer to help there without asking for relief from your current duties. Perhaps you’ll do well and enjoy it, your superiors will notice, and you’ll be invited to continue.

As you research and experiment, remember this: There’s no perfect job. No career matches all your talents and interests. Every job has its tedium and miseries.

But the Lord is sovereign, and he does have callings for us. We can delight in serving him and the common good in the space God appoints (1 Cor. 7:17–24; 12:7).