Get up at 6AM, 8AM, or if you’re lucky, 10AM (anyone?). Turn the coffee brewer on, or prepare the tea bags if that’s your preference. Shower (or not). Drive to work, or, if you’re fortunate, walk downstairs to your home office.

Work for eight hours Monday through Friday. Turn off your computer portal, and hit repeat. If you’re a weekend warrior, while everyone else gets to hang out with their friends, you have to work. 

How can you find joy in that process? That’s what we’re going to talk about today. 

What is Joy? 

I’m going to steal theologian John Piper’s excellent definition of Christian joy for this. Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world (Piper, 2015).

In other words, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:23) producing positive emotions in us as we behold Christ’s beauty in His Word and through his actions in the world. 

It’s from this definition that we can see it’s possible to have joy in our work, no matter what. In our work, we can see Christ working to make things new in the world (Revelation 21:5)- in our lives as individuals, in our relationships with our coworkers and the clients we serve, and in the broader society. So how can we find joy in the quotidian activities of our work lives? 

A Theology of Joy in Work

Thinking through this article, I was forced to reevaluate my own relationship with work and rest. As a young professional, I find it very easy to view work as a means to an end: money provides me access to material goods (like food and entertainment sources) that increase my comfort. It can be easy to think that my work is my identity, and that if I don’t have a job, I am a failure. 

However, these assumptions are incorrect. First, the word of God reveals that my identity is in Him, and not in my work (as another article I wrote discussed). More relevant to this article, I am not entitled to a job.

If I am not entitled to one, then there are no outcomes - either failure or success - that are implicated in my job status. Instead, one thing that is important to remember is that a job is a gift from God.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 4:7, says in part, “What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” A job is a good gift from a God who is Jehovah Jireh, God Who Provides. When we realize this, we express our joy through sheer gratitude. 

Another way to find joy in your work is to enjoy the aspects of your work that give you happiness. 1 Timothy 6:17 says that God gives us everything richly to enjoy. That includes our work and thus the parts that spark joy (pun intended) inside of us.

Whether it’s getting to ideate new characters if you’re a novelist or short story writer, enjoying the beauty of nature if your job is primarily outdoors, or having the ability to help people in a wide variety of helping professions - if you like it, take the time to enjoy it! 

Furthermore, we should remember that because of the Fall, work can be, and is, toilsome (Genesis 3:17-19). In the moments where we experience that toil - whether it’s struggling to find words to string together, dangerous outdoor conditions, or little progress being made in treatment - it’s important to separate the experience from the truth that work, before the Fall, was perfectly good.

We still see that goodness in the work that gives us joy. This is not to say that we should hide our feelings of distress in work. Rather, we should cast our cares to God about the situation, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). He is the one who can handle all of our distresses, including those related to work. So give them to Him and watch and see what He does. 

Finally, remember and reflect on the truth that one day in the New Heavens and the New Earth, work will not be toilsome (Revelation 22:3). Let this truth bring joy to your heart as you work now. 

Practical Steps to Finding Joy in Your Work

Below are some practical suggestions on finding and increasing joy in your work life. 

Before Work: If you have a commute (or even if you don’t), listen to your favorite music before going to work. It can be anything - worship, rock, pop, dance, metal. Listening to music that’s personally significant to you will help increase your sense of happiness, bringing it into your work situation. 

During Work: This suggestion may require permission from your supervisor or manager, but if you get it, see if you can liven up your office a bit, whether with a beautiful picture, a plant, or something else that makes you feel a little bit at home in your workspace. If you work remotely or hybrid-style, liven up your home office in whatever way you please! 

After work: Write down exciting things and victories that happened in your work, day by day. These can be big or small things, and they can help you see the ways in which God has worked in your life! Any format - sticky notes, notepads, a brown leather journal - works. If absolutely nothing exciting happened on a particular day, talk to God about it. He cares about your heart and wants to help you.

Alternatively, go through your day, moment by moment as possible, and make sure that you’ve exhausted all options. If this happens repeatedly over a long time, consider looking for new jobs, perhaps in a different industry.

It can be easy to think that work is something you just have to bear to make money and be comfortable. But when we remember that work is a gift from God, and take the time to look intentionally at the beautiful ways he’s working in your life, your joy can increase. I hope this article helps you seek and find joy in your working experiences. Much love :) 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ozi Ojukwu is a girl who is learning everyday what it means to fall deeper in love (devotion) with God. A graduate of Cedarville University and a freelance reporter for Koinesune Magazine, she loves reading books, writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to glorify God (check out her Instagram at @prosophilesvox), and listening to Christian music in a wide variety of genres. Her hope is that every Christian would revel in the reality that they are sons and daughters of God and thus live in love instead of fear.