Work itself is not sinful—our relationship to work can become sinful when we make it an idol. Like other addictions, workaholism is characterized by an unhealthy obsession that crowds out relationships, rest, and spiritual life. Read or listen to this material from
Work and Rest God’s Way to learn the best Bible verses for workaholics.
Table of contents*
The Workaholic's Relationship to Work Becomes Sinful*
“Physician, Heal Thyself!”*
The Consequences for Workaholics*
Physical Consequences*
Emotional Consequences*
Relationship Consequences*
Performance Consequences*
Spiritual Consequences*
The Danger of Burnout for Workaholics*
A Great Leader Who Was Also a Workaholic*
Workaholics Should Expect Negative Responses*
Workaholics Should Repent
The Workaholic's Relationship to Work Becomes Sinful
Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made (Isaiah 2:8).
The people in Isaiah’s day worshiped their work, and we can worship our work too. Just as we can rest too much (laziness), we can work too much (workaholism). Work is moral. When we commit the sin of workaholism, work didn’t suddenly become immoral and sinful. Instead, our relationship to work became sinful.
Workaholics have the same relationship to their work that addicts have to alcohol, drugs, or pornography. Everything else in their lives—family, friends, church, health, and rest—takes a backseat to their jobs. Time and energy committed to anyone and anything else are always rushed or neglected.
In the past, people couldn’t begin working before the sun came up, and they stopped working when the sun went down. Now, electricity allows us to have our lights, computers, and cell phones on at any time. Our twenty-four-hour days seem restrictive because it’s harder to fit in everything we think we need to do. Since society promotes “bigger and better,” we feel the pressure to keep up, and we find ourselves busier than ever.
Covetousness has never been a stronger temptation. The only solution seems to be more work. We can become like machines, moving from one task to the next. We end up overworked, under-rested, and spiritually undernourished.
It’s not wise, kind, humble, or impressive when we take on more than we can handle. It demonstrates a lack of wisdom due to the problems it causes. We recognize that our relationship with work has become sinful when it overshadows the areas of our lives that the Lord wants us to prioritize, such as our spouse, parents, children, friends, and church.
Answer these questions honestly to help determine whether you strugg...
