The results of that poll are alarming.
Apparently, more Americans are unhappy in their jobs than ever before. From the assembly line to the board room, people are expressing dissatisfaction with their experience in the workplace.
That trend is reflected in the increasing visibility of the bumper sticker that says: "A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work."
If you can identify with this trend, I have good news for you. You can find contentment in your job, no matter what you do for a living. Once we identify the common causes for unhappiness in the workplace, we can be sure there is a biblical solution for overcoming those challenges.
Dog Eat Dog
For example, a recent survey in Industry Week magazine found that seven out of ten women and six out of ten men genuinely dislike their jobs. Many of these unhappy workers point to a common cause.
More than half of those who responded said they don't have fun at work because of a lack of teamwork and a "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere.
It sounds like the American workplace needs a healthy dose of what the Bible calls "preferring one another."
You see, it's not low wages making millions of Americans miserable on the job. It's bad relationships. It was just this type of atmosphere the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote Galatians 5:15:
"If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
You can break the cycle of back-stabbing and competition in your workplace by making a decision to prefer others and treat them as you would like to be treated. God will honor that decision by bringing you increase and promotion. In addition, your workplace will become more pleasant in the process.
More Money
Many people who feel unhappy on the job make the mistake of thinking that earning more money will make those feelings go away. But a recent study by Yale Professor Robert Lane found no correlation between income levels and enjoyment in the workplace.
In other words, your happiness on the job is not really a function of how much you make.
There are lots of miserable people making six and seven-figure incomes in this country. And many of the tragic suicides that occur each day in this country are committed by wealthy and "successful" people.
Professor Lane stumbled on a principle that's been in the Bible for thousands of years. Proverbs 10:22 states that unless you prosper God's way, there can be a lot of sorrow mixed with your money: "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."
Don't look to money to bring you happiness on the job. Do what you're called to do; do it as unto the Lord, and the money will take care of itself.
The Fruit Of Your Labor
Are you experiencing joy on the job or misery in the marketplace? Ultimately, the choice is yours.
According to Psalm 128:1-2, when you apply God's principles at work, good things happen: "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee."
Do you want to enjoy the fruits of your labors? Do you want to be happy and have things go well with you on the job? You can, as you "fear the Lord," which is simply another way of saying, "Put God and His Word first in all you do."
No matter who you are, no matter what you do, your job can be a source of fulfillment, blessing and promotion for you. The key is discovering the practical principles in the Bible and putting them to work for you.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Mac Hammond is the senior pastor of Living Word, a large and growing church in Brooklyn Park (a suburb of Minneapolis), Minnesota. He is the host of the Winner’s Minute, which is seen locally in the Minneapolis area on KMSP Channel 9 at 6:44 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. He is also the host of the Winner's Way broadcast and author of several internationally distributed books. Mac is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.
