So I have a conglomeration of thoughts that I hope I can make sense on this post. A lot of it comes from many great discussions I have with other brothers and sisters, books that I read (especially "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller, and insights from the bible.
I apologize ahead of time, as ideas might not be as organized as it could be.
Why do we need to work?
I think there are many "layers" of answers for this question. The first layer is the obvious, to earn money so that we can pay our living necessities (food, rent, internet). On top of it, we can earn money to enjoy some luxuries (e.g. from going McDonald's to going on a vacation). This has a heavier weight for those who needs to sustain a family (1 Timothy 5:8).
Though this first layer seems a good answer, it does feel very transaction based (I put in 40 hours, I get $$$ back). There is nothing wrong with that, but as a Christian I think there is more.
Second layer, work is just a "means" to a bigger goal. We can extend the first layer to the case where I work hard to earn money because I can use this money to support missionaries or church plants, basically partnering for the gospel work with generosity and stewardship. Or it could be something more integrated in the workplace, like I am reaching out coworkers so that they can hear the gospel, or have regular prayer meetings with other Christians at work. Or work could be something not "explicitly" mission focused, where my current workplace is jut stepping stone to a future career.
Third layer, is looking at the biblical response to why we do work. Genesis 1 shows that God created the universe and that He rested on the seventh day. We are made in God's image, so we also have the capacity and creativity to work, as well there is the need of leisure. Moreover, God commanded man to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28) and assigned some work for Adam on the garden of Eden. The word "subdue" does not mean to do whatever we want on earth, but if we see it with the context of being stewards of God, we are to subdue the earth as God intent to do. So God gave us work to do, as well we are to work in a way that God wants us to. A term that is often used is "cultivate" our workplace, where we are not just there to earn money, but to also do our best to make the most out of it to make it a better place, whether it's through sharing the gospel, serving others, improving a process, or helping with people conflicts. Indirectly, I also think there is value in being good on what we do, to do our best, to improve ourselves, as we are using God's gifts for His purpose.
Really, the overall purpose is the glorify God in all we do (1 Cor 10:31).
Why are there negative aspects about work?
Everything mentioned in the first question is highly theoretical, and it is hard to take it to heart and practice it. The truth is, work is rough, like very rough. Some people are blessed with jobs that they really like to do, which is awesome. Even in those situations, I think there are days where work can be very annoying.
In my experience, I have very good days with work, also very bad days. I have heard from many peers that work usually feels a bit meaningless, it can be boring, it can very stressful, it ca be discouraging, it can be painful to deal with certain people, etc.
Many people I know usually don't want to talk about work at all, because it has such a negative aspect to it.
This is a reality because of sin, people are naturally selfish, and putting people together will inevitably result in conflicts, which cause some of the pain points mentioned above.
God did say that labor will be painful (Genesis 3:17). Sin is bad. In a way, this verse is seen as some sort of curse for men, where we will have to work, and it will rough. Still, I think it is part of God's plan, and I think we find grace in it, and He works in us through it.
How do I deal with the negative aspects about work?
Rough question.
I think if we look back at why we have to work (first question), if we treat work as just a transaction based task (hours for $$$), it can feel really meaningless. I think that as Christians we have to embrace deeper layers of mindset in how we approach work. At the end of the day, work is not the end, but a means to other larger goals, and if we are to embrace God's design for work, where we also cultivate our workplace to be a better place, it is not longer meaningless.
When there is discouragement because of lack of fruits, that's also ok, because if you are doing something for God with the right attitude, maybe the physical results might not come right now, but I think God does value hard work done in faith, and in His timings, change may occur.
Regarding stress, I think part of it is because we are always too busy, and not resting enough. Whenever there is a free day, we just fill it up with many activities, so maybe we never truly the get the rest that we need to recharge.
I want to make a note about the "freedom" that we have as Christians. I know many people work and gets into very stressful scenarios because there is a strive to be recognized, to do very well, and in some sense measure our value based on our performance at work. Though, there is value in working hard, I think that is based on knowing who we really are in Christ, that our identity is based on God loving us that He gave Christ to die for our sins, and adopted us as His sons and daughters. So God loves us first, and we don't need to perform well to earn His love for us. So we are free from these sort of pursuits.
How about finding satisfaction at work?
There are people who might be very satisfied at work because they work in a field that they really like or they are working in helping others in need (social work, health services, missions) and that is a very related to being missional as Christians.
But what do we do when we are not on any of those fields?
This is also a rough question.
I think the aspect of satisfaction or job fulfillment is probably a relative new thing. When I look back at my parents' generation, a lot of them did not have the privilege to get an education, so most of their work can be very boring and have a lack of satisfaction in "today's standards" but they did it anyways, maybe there is no other choice. Nowadays, we do have many choices, so we always wonder if there is a better job opportunity or career out there. Thinking about my parents, I know that they are probably really bored during their jobs a large portion of the time, but probably found some sense of satisfaction when they were able to provide for the family, and give my brother and me an opportunity to education, which could lead to a better future.
I don't have a clear answer for this, but I think if we look back again on why we do work, if we are there to cultivate our workplace on what God has entrusted us, if we do not find satisfaction on this task, then we really need to evaluate what's going on.
How to determine what work to choose?
If we are given various job opportunities or even career options, how do we go about choosing?
One easy answer is to look at our skill sets, and go with the option that overlaps more with our skills. It's not the greatest, because God can call you to something different (stretching it a bit, but God calls David to be king, and he was a shepherd before that).
I got no solid answers just some intermediate guidelines.
We are not just to think about work as a 40 hours box, really think more of a "vocation", a career at which we are dedicated to and look at the larger picture, which is to glorify God in all we do. Here are some things to look for:
- location: this is key as depending on where you live, you get to be impacted or impact different communities
- Kingdom currency: this term is something I made up, but think where I can make more impact in advancing God's Kingdom
- long term dream: maybe there is something that God has put in your heart, but maybe it's way too ambitious, but perhaps it is something that might happen on a very long term, so take small steps to get close to it
- take risks if God does open a new opportunity for you. Changes often invites risk, but have faith that God is in control
Probably this question is more complex that just a few bullet points (it's not a linear equation but a multi-variable differential equation), so honestly life is really rough, but despite that we struggle and can move on because of a sovereign God.
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