Bible Verses for Strength at Work

Most of us spend more waking hours at work than anywhere else. Some days work feels meaningful. Other days it feels like a grind: difficult coworkers, unfair bosses, endless tasks, or a job that's nowhere near your dream. God has a lot to say about work, and none of it is "your job doesn't matter to Me."

Here are Bible verses for strength at work, whether you're in an office, a classroom, a hospital, a warehouse, a kitchen, or running your own business.

Your work has purpose

• Genesis 2:15: "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
• Colossians 3:23–24: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."
• Ephesians 6:7: "With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men."

Work existed before sin entered the world. God gave Adam a job in a perfect garden. Work itself isn't a curse; it's part of how we reflect a creative, working God. And Colossians 3 changes who your real boss is: you serve the Lord Christ.

For working hard and well

• Ecclesiastes 9:10: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
• Proverbs 22:29: "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men."
• Proverbs 14:23: "In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury."
• Proverbs 16:3: "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established."

For the hard days

• 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
• Galatians 6:9: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
• Psalm 90:17: "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."

Psalm 90:17 is a beautiful prayer for the start of a workday. "Establish the work of our hands" means: Lord, make what I do today count. Let it last.

For being a light at work

• Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

You may be the only Bible some coworkers ever read. Integrity when no one's watching, kindness to the difficult person, honesty about mistakes, and steady peace under pressure preach louder than words.

Permission to rest

• Exodus 20:9–10: "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God."
• Psalm 127:2: "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."
• Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

God, who never gets tired, still rested on the seventh day. He built rest into the rhythm of work. Your worth isn't measured by how busy you are.

Faith habits for the workday

Pray on the commute. Pray Psalm 90:17 over your day before you walk in.

Keep a verse at your desk or station. Something small you'll glance at during stressful moments.

Bring your faith with your coffee. A Christian travel mug or something from our Christian drinkware collection is a quiet reminder, and often a conversation starter, on the hardest days.

Leave work at work. On the drive home, hand the day to God and be fully present with the people waiting for you.

A prayer for work

Lord, I offer You my work today. Help me do it heartily, as for You and not just for people. Give me strength for the hard parts, patience with difficult people, and integrity when no one's watching. Let my light shine. Establish the work of my hands, and when the day is done, help me rest in You. In Jesus' name, amen.

More on faith and work: Christian Living.