“I Feel Guilty When I’m Not Overworking”

I recently wrote about ​the blessings and temptations of remote work​, offering some cautions for Christians to be wary of laziness. While many found it helpful, I also received some gentle pushback from readers who said they actually have the opposite problem. They feel guilty when they’re not overdoing it.

As I’ve talked with other believers, I’ve found this to be a recurring issue. As Christians, we understand that hard work is a good thing. We want to serve others, do our jobs well, and ultimately glorify God through the work He’s given us. But what happens when we start working too much? What happens when we cross the line into becoming workaholics?

We often focus on vocation as one area God has given us to steward. While it’s important to do our work well and treat it with care, problems arise when relationships, recreation, rest, or our spiritual lives are pushed aside because we’re working too much.

Recognizing Overwork

What even is overwork, though? Is it when you work more than 40 hours a week? Or if we are working more than our colleagues? How can we actually define it? What is the standard?

The trick is to stop thinking in terms of hours per week, but rather in terms of balance of responsibilities. The alarm bells should go off when you’re neglecting other areas of stewardship, because you are working too much.

Ask yourself: Am I working so much that I don’t have time to be in the Word? Am I neglecting church attendance? Is my physical health suffering? Do I have no relationships outside of work because I don’t have time for them? If you answer to “yes” to any of those, that should give you pause.

Different seasons of life may allow for different work commitments. Young people without families might be able to work more, while those with young children may need to scale back. The key is to prayerfully seek wisdom from the Lord about whether you’re working enough, too much, or if you need to restructure your work to better steward other areas of your life.

Heart Motivations Behind Overwork

Beyond neglecting responsibilities, overwork can reveal some problematic heart motivations. It may uncover beliefs we hold that aren’t actually true. Our attitude toward work may even even reveal incorrect views about God. Let’s explore some reasons why we might overwork:

1. Working to Please People Rather Than God

One reason we might beyond what is sustainable is that we’re people-pleasers. We’re primarily motivated by what others think of us or what we worry they might think. This is especially common in Christian organizations where people want to serve but may be motivated more by a desire to be seen as a “good Christian.”

Colossians 3:22-23 addresses this, instructing us to work “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” Our primary motivation should be pleasing God, not people.

2. Motivated by Fear, Not Faith

Another reason for overwork is fear—fear of being fired, not getting a promotion, or simply not being thought well of. Proverbs 29:25 warns us that “the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” When fear drives us to neglect our families, spiritual lives, and other responsibilities, we’ve fallen into this trap. Are you trusting in the Lord’s provision? Or are you running on fear instead of faith?

3. Neglecting God’s Providence

We may overwork when we forget about God’s loving care and control over everything. We might believe that it’s all up to us, forgetting that God is the one who ultimately provides for us and takes care of our needs.

Psalm 127:1-2 reminds us: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

4. Relying on Work for Self-Worth

When we find our core identity in our work, we create a monster that constantly needs feeding. But your work doesn’t define you. You are valuable because of who you are in Christ, chosen before the foundation of the world and redeemed at the great cost of Christ’s blood.

Our work should be an outworking of our identity in Christ, not a quest to find our identity in our work. We should approach our vocations from a place of peace, secure in Christ, not scrambling for self-worth.

5. Using Work to Hide from Problems

Sometimes, overwork is a problem of our own creation. We put in the long hours not because we need the extra income, or the approval of others, we do it because it allows us to hide from other issues in our lives. If you slow down, you might have to have that tough conversation, face up to that sin issue, or deal with what’s really motivating you. Don’t use your work to hide from the heart work that needs attention. As we all know, problems don’t go away simply because you ignore them.

The Truth

Work is a blessed opportunity to serve others and serve the Lord through our unique giftings.

And work is a means by which God blesses you with meaningful labor and an income to provide for your needs, others, and His church.

But work is not the only thing.

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