Psalm 23:1-3

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.Psalm 23:1-3


Saturday, February 19, 2011

What to do when you hate your job

What to do when you hate your job

by Bob on May 11, 2009

Extracted from http://christianpf.com/what-to-do-when-you-hate-your-job/

How I survived my “hate my job” phase

There were a few important lessons that I learned that I can now see were critical to my sanity!

I was thankful for what I had

I would thank God for my job on a daily basis. It wasn’t my dream-job by any means, but I was extremely grateful that I wasn’t standing in the unemployment line. I had a short stint of about 3 months when I couldn’t find a job and that is pretty terrible feeling to have. 1 Thes 5:18 says to give thanks in everything – let me tell you, it can be really difficult sometimes, but I am convinced that this was one of the primary keys that helped me stick it out.

I worked harder

When you hate your job, the tendency is to slack off and just do the bare minimum. Whether I was not good at my job or better than everyone around me, it didn’t matter – I was still called to work hard. Col 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” As I got a hold of that it really brought peace, because I knew that even if I had a tyrannical boss, if I worked hard for the Lord, things would work out for me. I didn’t have to get caught up in brown-nosing or jumping through hundreds of hoops to keep the boss in a good mood. I just needed to work hard and trust God to take care of the rest.

I prayed

This is pretty obvious, but it should still be mentioned. During that phase I often found myself meditating and praying Psalm 37. It talks a lot about waiting on the Lord and how He sustains the righteous.
I prayed that He would give me favor with my bosses and co-workers. He did. I prayed that He would give me grace to stick it out to the end. He did. I prayed that he would lead me to a job that I loved. He did.

I was active

I didn’t really know if the whole make money with a blog thing was possible, but I started a blogging anyway. Had I not been putting some action to my faith (James 2:20) by starting a blog, I would probably still be in a job that I hated somewhere. I was also actively scanning job listings, tweaking my resume, and taking classes to make myself a more valuable asset to an employer.

Final thoughts

If you are in a job you hate, I am sorry. It’s not fun at all and I know how difficult it can be, but don’t be discouraged! You are not stuck, there is a way out, and there is something better on the horizon. I don’t think I have a monopoly on things you should do when you hate your job, but, I do think doing the four things listed above is a great place to start. Pray and read Psalm 37 – you will feel better.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

How To Enjoy Your Job (When You Don’t Like It)

Extracted from http://christianpf.com/what-to-do-when-you-dislike-your-job/

How To Enjoy Your Job (When You Don’t Like It)

by Guest on March 3, 2010


Learning to enjoy my job

After job-hopping for several years, I finally recognized that my dissatisfaction with work was not so much an external struggle, but an internal one. This pushed me to realize that I needed a fresh perspective on work. I found that my anguish was more of an attitude that I held rather than a condition of my employment.
Opening the Bible, I found an interesting verse regarding the original intention of work:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” -Genesis 2:15 NIV
Whenever I read this verse in the past, I didnʼt think there was much to be gained from it. But then when I compared my previous viewpoint of work (being difficult, trying, and depressing) with the passage, something leaped off the page at me: Adam was put to work by God in THE GARDEN OF EDEN!

Wow. Here God created a perfect world, flawless in its design, and yet required that humanity would work in it! Can you imagine working in a perfect environment? This work must have been enjoyable in the pristine world. Did I just say work and enjoyable in the same sentence? I think I did!
The fresh perspective found here is that work was originally designed to be enjoyable! Today, in our fallen world, we have to make the choice to enjoy our work. Just like we have a choice to do good or evil, we have a choice to view our work as pleasant or dreadful.

Now you may be thinking, “Oh, not me John. You have no idea how painful my job is.” Maybe so. But isnʼt it worth considering that our attitude and viewpoint on work changes our mood? I think it is.
Iʼm not suggesting that if you hate your job you stick with it. What Iʼm pointing out here is that we have the choice to be content in our current circumstance.

Another idea that helps me enjoy work is that it is a part of my life. Too many people compartmentalize their home life from their work life. Try blending the concept of work with the concept of living. Itʼs life-work!
Are you prepared for a fresh perspective on work? It starts with you transforming your mind. It starts when you decide that work is life. Be creative with your work. Seize the opportunity to influence others with Godʼs love. The Lord is calling us to work as he designed us to work. Are you ready?
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” -Colossians 3:23 NIV