Boost Your Motivation at Work and Experience Joy Every Day
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” Colossians 3:23–24 (ESV).
Have you had those days at work that do not seem to come to an end? These are the days when the sun may be shining outside, but in your office and your mind, there is a grey struggle and, yes, maybe even the feeling of misery. Honestly, I think we all have these kinds of days. They are usually made up for by the days where the reverse is true, where the workday is golden, and everything seems to be going right, even if the day outside is grey and rainy. We all long for more of the golden workdays and less of the struggle because it is easy to find and experience joy in the golden days. The problem is that for many of us, yes, even Christians, most workdays seem to be days of struggle.
We are all looking to constantly have golden moments of joy in our work-life as we spend about 80,000 hours in our lifetime at work. Steve Jobs said the following about loving your work and finding joy: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
However, this perspective is selfish as it only focuses on the self. It leaves the Giver and Sustainer of our life and work out of the equation. We cannot consider work and joy without acknowledging our creator, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In Ecclesiastes 2:24, the writer acknowledges who the giver of work is and, thus, who we should find joy in while working. It reads: ”There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God”. (ESV translation, emphasis added)
In the New Testament, Paul also talks about how to find joy in our work as it is a daily act of worship to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Colossians 3:17, Paul writes: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Emphasis added)
Worship is not something we do just one day a week, on a Sunday, or on those occasions throughout the week when we come to church. Every aspect of our life, including work, should be an act of worship, including our work, as this is a gift from God given to man before the fall. Through worshipping Jesus, we find true joy! Through working with a worship mindset, we can find true joy even on “blue Mondays”!
Challenge
Take a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty of knowing and following Christ. Acknowledge that only in Him can we find true joy- not hinged on feelings or outcomes but on Christ alone.
Pray
Dear Lord, thank you for the Joy that you bring. Let this joy fill me with strength to do excellent work today and always. In Jesus name, Amen.