Finding Contentment and Joy at Work

What does it look like to be truly content in a job? What does it mean to find joy in servant-hearted leadership?   

Let me go right ahead and dispel any misconceptions you might be thinking. I’m not talking about relying on the power of a positive mindset or your own will to improve things situationally for yourself. I’m also not talking about mere happiness.  

True, lasting joy is so much more.  

While we live in a world that always tells us to desire more money, more material goods, more power and more financial security, it can be difficult to alternatively choose contentment in the goodness of the Lord. But this is where true joy is actually found.  

Maintain a Heart of Gratitude 

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

There is a powerful joy produced from being content with what God has already given us. This all starts from a place of sincere gratitude, thanking the Lord for all the things that we do have, since He has given it all to us. Regarding the workplace, the list can go on and on. Taking the time to pause and thank the Lord for the fact that we have jobs in the first place is a great place to start and a very humbling experience.  

The fact is this: We are blessed to work. We are blessed to move and breathe. We are blessed that God has given us the ability to provide for ourselves and for our families. We are blessed that the Lord has given us all that He has given us—our earthly possessions, our job, our family, and all our relationships.  

I’ve found that the people who live in constant acknowledgment and praise of all the little things the Lord has done for them find the most joy in life. They thank the Lord for their coffee each morning, they praise Him for the fact that the copier in their office decided to cooperate today, and they shed tears of joy when they get to share the Gospel with a dear co-worker for whom they’ve been praying. For these people, every moment is an opportunity to rejoice in the Lord, so they live in constant praise, awe and wonder of the Father’s love, generosity and pure goodness.  

When we begin to thank Jesus for all the little things, we notice more little things, more big things, and ultimately more of the Lord’s heart of kindness towards us in the process.  

“Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 

Permeate Joy  

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 

Some people are so content in Jesus that they reflect the love and joy of Jesus in a way that actually infects those around them this their joy. They seem to do this wherever they go—whether it be at the grocery store, at their local coffee shops, in their homes—and, yes, in their workplaces. These individuals radiate Jesus everywhere—and the lives around them are inevitably changed.  

No matter how menial or lowly the task, these people seem to have a lasting joy and holy energy that breaks the mold around them—in a way that looks very backwards in the eyes of the world. These individuals make work fun—weirdly fun—regardless of what their tasks look like or what they are getting paid.  

I remember working with Fred on the Waste Management episode of Undercover Boss, and his job was cleaning Port-o-let potties, a very stinky job. But Fred let the light of Christ shine through him as he and I worked together. I have never laughed so much through the entire day as I worked with Fred. He told jokes and funny stories all day long, and it was infectious. He made a stinky job so fun, that a crowd formed around us while we worked together at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo cleaning Port-o-lets, as they thought we were a comedy routine! I asked Fred if he was a Christian, and he said that he sure was, and he knew I was too! We hugged and prayed together, and then just kept on working and laughing together all day! Fred showed me that the attitude that we bring with us to work can help others see what a difference Jesus can make in our lives, no matter the circumstances! 

When our joy captures the hearts of others, we are stepping further into servant-hearted leadership—even when we don’t realize it. Showing genuine tenderhearted love and selfless service toward others will invariably change the entire workplace around us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 

While you may dislike certain things about your job—maybe you feel like your day-to-day tasks are mundane, you got passed up on that promotion, or you rarely see eye-to-eye with your boss—remember, the Lord has allowed you to be where you are for a reason. Rather than feeling like you just must “make the best of it all,” why not find true contentment in the Lord from a heart of gratitude that will change your life altogether and produce an infectious joy that will transform those around you? 

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.”  

1 Chronicles 16:8 

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