Do You Approach Your Work with a Godly Attitude?

Lessons on navigating the struggle of our work with a godly motive and attitude.

Before diving into today’s newsletter, I want to apologise to everyone who was eagerly anticipating it on Wednesday but was ultimately let down. I was feeling very disoriented that day and on Thursday morning, which was why I couldn’t write anything. Thankfully, I’m in a much better headspace today, so I’ll be sharing some valuable lessons I’ve learnt this week, which have played a key role in helping me face one of my challenges with a godly attitude. Specifically, I’m referring to the challenge of seeing and approaching work in a way that aligns with God’s expectations for Christians. (So, brace yourselves, friends; this will likely be a long one.)

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If you read the newsletter where I talked about generosity, you must know by now that I don’t have the best job out there, nor do I love my job. And if we’re connected on WhatsApp, you might have caught me venting on my status now and then about the amount of stress I’ve had to endure lately to the point of breaking down.

It seems my workplace has taken the phrase “ability to work under pressure” a bit too seriously because every single day of working with them has been a painful struggle. It doesn’t help that my earnings poorly compensate for the effort I put in, and worse yet, most of it is used to settle debts I’ve accumulated during the month.

Finding the motivation to show up at work is a constant struggle, and even when I manage to rouse myself to work, being productive and diligent is a whole new challenge. So, these days, while editing my agency’s content, I often read through the text only once and edit on the fly. In a more motivated work setting, I would always take the time to read the text a couple of times, really grasp the author’s message, and get a feel for their voice before revising the text sentence by sentence. (By “more motivated work setting,” I mean a place where I’m paid what I’m truly worth and not drowning in so much work that I’m up editing documents at 2 a.m. most mornings.)

Last week, I was overwhelmed for many reasons, one being that out of all the promising jobs I’ve applied for lately, only one company bothered to send me a response, and even then, it was a rejection email. I did my best not to let frustration consume me, not to wallow in my toxic headspace, or obsessively check my inbox. And everything was going quite well until Wednesday, when so many challenges hit me all at once, leaving me feeling utterly helpless. When that happened, I lost all the fight in me and lacked the motivation to work, write, or do anything that required even the slightest effort. All I wanted to do was to lay on my bed, shut myself off from the world, and sleep away my problems and anxiety.

Still, I’m grateful for a friend who reached out to me, allowed me to vent, and then prayed for me. Her intentional concern and support managed to lift my spirits and put me in a better state of mind. It also prompted me to reflect on a sermon I had listened to on Sunday, which explored some biblical teachings on work.

Like many others, I used to believe that life before the fall of man was as easy as it was perfect and that work only exists as a consequence of the fall. However, not only is this perspective wrong, but it also leads us to prioritise ease above all else when it comes to our work, even if it means compromising its quality. Yet, a closer study of the Scriptures reveals that God Himself engaged in work when He created the world and everything in it. And He didn’t stop there; rather, He entrusted man with the responsibility of cultivating the land and naming the animals (see Gen. 2:4-6; 19-20). So, in essence, God expected and commanded us to work.

As I learnt from the sermon I listened to last Sunday, God designed work for our sanctification and His glorification. So, when we approach work with the right attitude, the challenges we encounter have a way of cultivating the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. In my own case, these struggles are teaching me how to endure unfavourable situations, tolerate my employers’ faults, forgive them whenever they upset me, respond calmly when they’re confrontational, and strive to always deliver excellent work, even when I feel they don’t deserve the courtesy. Doing all these is hardly ever easy. Still, I must always remind myself that I’m doing it for God, not merely for them (see 1 Peter 2:18-21).

Image by Wilson Henderson Jr. via LinkedIn.

When we understand that our attitude towards work is an offering to God, it compels us to honour Him by giving our best effort in everything we do. But, unfortunately, many of us approach work with a mindset focused on rewards, rather than one that seeks to bring glory to God.

Now, don’t get me wrong; it’s perfectly fine to expect fair compensation for our labor—after all, the Bible acknowledges that workers deserve their wages (1 Tim. 5:18). However, what I’m trying to emphasise is that we shouldn’t succumb to laziness, complacency, or the temptation to deliver low-quality work simply because our needs are unmet. Whether it’s our earnings, the flexibility of our work (or lack thereof), or feeling disrespected or unappreciated by others, we must resist the urge to let those factors determine the quality of our work or our attitude towards it.

So, let us consistently give our work our best effort as a pleasing offering to God. Even if you are self-employed and have no one to answer to, remember that you still answer to God, and He will hold you accountable for how you approach your work. And this mindset extends beyond work as an occupation; it encompasses every task that requires mental or physical effort, whether it’s your studies, chores, errands, and so on.

So, think about your attitude to your studies. Are you interested in mastering your subjects, or are you simply trying to do the bare minimum to get good grades? And what about your chores? Do you find yourself procrastinating and getting distracted, only to rush through them at the last minute? Likewise, when you use your skills for someone as a favour to them, do you deliver subpar work simply because they won’t pay you?

Can you honestly say that such an attitude brings glory to God? If you believe it doesn’t matter as long as the job gets done, well, consider this: Christ Himself would never adopt that approach to work, and that should make us deeply concerned.

My friends, we are created in God’s image and called to reflect His nature until it becomes not just second nature to us but our very essence. So, let us fulfill our responsibilities and approach our work with the right attitude—one that is centered on excellence, whether or not we will be rewarded, and regardless of any challenges we may face along the way.

Questions to Reflect On

• Do you prioritise ease and monetary or other kinds of rewards over giving your best effort in your work?

• If you do, then what can you start or stop doing (or do better) to glorify God through your work?

A Few Things That Blessed Me This Week

• “The Biblical Doctrine of Work,” a sermon my partner taught in church last Sunday. It’s not available online, or I would have shared it with you. Still, it’s worthy of mention here.

• “Do You Bear Fruit?” by Evangelist Paul Washer. This sermon is available on YouTube, and I strongly recommend you listen to it at your leisure.

• The second part of the sermon above, titled “How to Abide in Christ.” Also available on YouTube.

• Philippians 4:4-9.