Renewing the Spirit | Is Work a Blessing or a Curse?

article by Reverend RB Moore

Four out of five people admit to being unhappy with their jobs, at least sometimes. But in the beginning, God intended for work to be a gift, a blessing, a reason for being, not a curse. (Genesis 2:15) Yet how may we transform what may feel like a curse into a blessing? 

Let me offer a couple of ideas that may stir our minds to thinking. For instance, we may convert a curse into a blessing as we form a partnership with God in our field of work. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:9. “For we are co-workers in God’s service” …

Truly we are invited to partner with God to work in His kingdom. But also, whether it be at work, or at play, or at home, or at our place of worship, or in our community or as we travel, we are called to “team up” with God. We are to cooperate with God’s leadership in all our endeavors. 

To illustrate, once there was an organist who was to play several concerts with an old-fashioned pump organ. The bellows of the organ had to be pumped by hand. So, the organist hired a boy to pump the bellows. After one concert the boy said to the organist, “We played good tonight.” The organist replied in a huff, “What do you mean, ‘We?’ I played good tonight!”

At the next concert, the organist began to play, but nothing happened. He kept pressing the ebony and ivory keys, but there were no sounds coming from the organ. It then dawned on him that there was no air in the bellows. The organist whispered to the boy, “Pump!” The boy whispered back, “Say, ‘We’!”

You see, God does not expect you to do all your work on your own. As a believer, you are not alone. The Spirit of Christ aims to empower your efforts. Connect with the powerful presence of God by following the Spirit’s leading. Be a team player. Then hopefully, your satisfaction at work will increase and your job will take on new meanings.

Furthermore, to reverse a curse and to experience a blessing at work, choose an attitude of joy. When the Apostle Paul was in prison (of all places) he wrote in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!”    

For example, a student named Ken tells about the time he dropped out of college and was looking for a job. He decided to apply to be a waiter at a restaurant. The owner told him he could start by washing dishes. Ken objected. He would rather wait on tables. But the owner said, “Take it or leave it.” He took it. But he grumbled the entire day. 

The next day, as he arrived for work, he asked the owner if he could wait on the customers. The owner answered, “You can wash pots and pans in the kitchen. Take it or leave it.” Again, Ken was unhappy all day. But then Ken got to thinking. He said to himself, “I can be miserable all day. Or I can be happy all day. How I feel is up to me. Tomorrow, I will choose to be happy all day!”

The next day he came into work, put on an apron, and began washing pots, pans, and dishes. He did not utter a disparaging word. He whistled while he worked. He hummed a few tunes. He even sang a wee bit. When the day was done, the owner walked up to him and said, “Now, you are ready to wait on my customers.” 

Ken says, over the years he learned to choose happiness in the face of unhappy situations, and it made a dramatic difference for him. For instance, we learn from Ken’s experience, a positive attitude may make our workday more satisfying. Plus, we note a positive attitude may create for us an opportunity for advancement. 

To put it simply, change your attitude and your work may flip from being a curse into a blessing. “Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!” Thanks be to God. Amen.