End Boredom At WorkSýnishorn

My job is repetitive.

If your work is repetitive, you’re likely to get bored after a while. The writer of Ecclesiastes describes work as “toil” for this very reason. But he also says that it’s God’s gift to enjoy this toil. How does God give that gift? How do we get it? Unlocking this puzzle may be the key to ending boredom at work.

One clue comes from Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth century monk. In his book The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence describes how he learned to feel God’s presence. While running errands or doing menial work in the monastery kitchen, Brother Lawrence thought about God and how much God loved him. When his superiors asked him why he was so happy, Brother Lawrence explained that thinking about God made him feel like God was present in his work. Brother Lawrence came to love his work, because he felt like it was something he and God were doing together.

The spiritual discipline of thinking about God helped Brother Lawrence find joy in his work. According to Ecclesiastes, this gift can be yours too. Start by asking God today to be with you in your work, even the parts that seem like toil. When you’re doing a repetitive task, think about God and what he’s like. See if this changes your experience of your work today.

Prayer

Lord, give me the gift of sensing your presence as I work. Be with me when I work today. Change my experience of work. Amen.

Further Exploration

To learn more about what Ecclesiastes says about work, watch this short video, Work with Contentment: Lessons from Ecclesiastes .