I hate my job. How do I find purpose in it anyway?

By Chuck Bentley, CP Guest Contributor Friday, October 30, 2026

Dear Chuck,

My work is exhausting and repetitive. I do not look forward to going to work. I dream of a better job with a brighter future. I heard you talk about getting unstuck on the radio. Can you repeat that? 

Stuck in a Bad Job

Dear Stuck in a Bad Job,

Work can sometimes feel frustrating, exhausting, monotonous, and even downright discouraging. In my long career, I have had some really bad jobs. You have probably heard me share some of those stories. But I have also had the Lord’s intervention that led me to far better jobs! 

Remember that God is always building our character, especially when we work. The old saying is true: “The man may build the house, but the house is also building the man.”

Let’s take a quick overview of a biblical perspective on work.

We should enjoy our work

One of the surprising themes in Ecclesiastes is that God wants us to enjoy our work.

Solomon wrote, “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” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 ESV).

In 3:22, he adds, “There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot” (ESV).

Solomon did not say that work would always be enjoyable, but finding satisfaction in our labor is a gift from God.

Created to work

Every day, it helps to remember that we were created in the image of a God who works. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden “to work it and take care of it” before sin ever entered the world. It must have been wonderful.

After the Fall, God told Adam that the ground would produce “thorns and thistles” and that he would eat through painful toil (Genesis 3:17–19). That’s when work became challenging. We experience the “thorns” in different ways: maybe it is difficult coworkers, unreasonable bosses, failed projects, exhaustion, layoffs, long commutes, and tasks that seem meaningless. Regardless, we should not despair.

Work as unto the Lord

To find joy in the midst of hardship, we must remember who we work for. Colossians 3:23–24 says, “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” (ESV).

Ordinary work done faithfully, with excellence, is an act of worship unto the Lord.

There is an important distinction between finding joy in work and expecting work to provide your joy. Titles change. Promotions disappoint. Businesses fail. Careers end. Even achieving a professional dream can leave many asking, “Is this all there is?”

Ecclesiastes repeatedly exposes the emptiness of making achievement itself our purpose. True identity can only be found in Christ. When we stop expecting work to fulfill us, we can enjoy it as God's gift. Solomon once again reminds us, “Everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil — this is God's gift to man” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 ESV).

Find a purpose for your work

Have you noticed what your work provides? Besides a paycheck, your work may solve a problem, serve a customer, create something useful, and give employment to others. It may enable you to give generously to your church and others. The fruit of our labor is directly linked to faithful stewardship.

When we see work only as something to endure, money becomes the primary reward. That can create a cycle of working to spend, working to spend, working to spend — which will never satisfy.

Gratitude for the provision

Work as a gift from God, allowing paychecks to take on a greater purpose: provision to manage as God designed instead of compensation to consume.

Gratitude for work and income:

• We learn to be content. This allows us to grow in giving, saving, eliminating debt, providing for our families, and preparing for future needs.
• We stop comparing ourselves to others. We are grateful and satisfied.
• The highest-paying opportunities aren’t necessarily the wisest ones. Compensation matters, but don’t forget your calling, family, integrity, health, and opportunities to serve.

We must see labor as service to God with income as His provision. With grateful hearts, we maximize opportunities for faithful stewardship.

God established rhythms of work and rest. There is a point at which earning more money costs too much (Psalm 127:2). If income consistently requires sacrificing your marriage, children, health, worship, or relationship with God, carefully examine the trade you're making. Money can be replaced. Time cannot.

Recognize work as a gift

You may not enjoy every aspect or season of your career. So, ask God to help you appreciate your job while being open for Him to lead you elsewhere. When you go in, perform your tasks faithfully, knowing each is an opportunity to glorify God. Enjoy the fruit of your labor, then: 

• Give generously.
• Provide responsibly.
• Save and invest wisely.
• Rest gratefully.

And remember that neither your job title nor your bank account determines your worth.

Solomon reminds us that joy is not found by avoiding work or accumulating everything our work can buy. It is found when we receive our work, our provision, and the fruit of our labor as gifts from God even while we wait for our next opportunity to open up.

This quote by Martin Luther King Jr. might be helpful:

“If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.”

Crown has many biblically based, practical, and empowering courses and studies that can guide and encourage you to be a grateful financial steward of the resources God provides.