Should I Join the Great Resignation
and Quit My Job?

Growing uncertainty and dissatisfaction brought about by the Covid-19 crisis has led many around the world to quit their jobs, and some believe the Great Resignation is bound to hit Singapore soon.

Are you thinking of changing jobs—or just taking a break? Check out some practical tips . . and a fresh perspective of work.

It’s called the Great Resignation, or the Big Quit: millions of people leaving their jobs voluntarily even while the world is still struggling with the impact of Covid-19. While this may seem strange given that in the early months of the crisis, people were afraid of losing their jobs, many more now are doing this on their own accord.

Across the world, from America and Europe to China, people are getting fed up with low wages and long hours, and looking for better jobs or taking a break. In the wake of new work-from-home arrangements, many are also beginning to question traditional work practices and demand that employers allow them to work remotely so that they can stay safe and look after their families.

Many workers in Singapore will understand these motivations to quit. Surveys have shown that many employees are working longer hours as the lines blur between office and home, or struggling with having to balance work responsibilities with taking care of the family and household chores.

According to one survey, many are considering quitting in 2022, or are unsure if they will stay on in their jobs in the next six months.

In such situations, it’s tempting to start asking ourselves:

At the heart of such a question often lies dissatisfaction. Let’s be honest: very few of us are in a perfect job.

When God first tasked Adam and Eve to take care of the garden of Eden (Genesis 1:28–30), it was a perfect job. The land was fruitful and resources were unlimited. But Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and as a result, their work became a thing of difficulty: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:17–19).

Since then, all workers have had to face their own version of “thorns and thistles” that have hindered work and caused pain.

Though we may feel otherwise, the truth is this: work itself is not a curse. The perfect life is not work-free; work was part of the Lord’s blueprint for daily life in Paradise.

When we accept this godly perspective on work, we will not only find fulfilment, but we will also realise that in almost every job, there is a way of working for and with God.

This is because our new perspective of work will show us a new “job description” as found in the Bible. It tells us whom we report to, what our duties are, and how we will be compensated. It shows us the significance of what we are doing, and gives us a plan for working through difficulties in our relationships with bosses, colleagues, employees, and customers.

Ultimately, we are all working for the Lord. He is the boss’ Boss, the supervisor’s Supervisor, the foreman’s Foreman, the manager’s Manager. The Bible reminds us in many verses (e.g. 1 Chronicles 16:31) that the Lord is the ultimate ruler over all of the earth.

If we keep this wonderful truth in mind, our attitude will be transformed. Why? Because we will be ultimately reporting to an Employer who has our best interests at heart—a Boss who is concerned about every one of us, and who wants to help us in every aspect of our work.

God cares deeply about our work because our actions on the job reflect our inner character and our level of devotion to Him. We were created to reflect God’s nature (Genesis 1:26–27), and we were given abilities to use for His glory. Jesus himself said: “‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17).

How will this change our attitude towards the people we work with each day? If we are praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10), then we will be allowing Him to use us as His instruments in carrying out His purposes. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims of our circumstances or pawns of our employer, we will see ourselves as God’s people of action who can positively affect our environment instead of being controlled by it.

Recognising that we are really working for the Lord is the all-important first step to finding satisfaction on the job.

Ask yourself:

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul told Timothy:

Although he was speaking in the context of teaching God’s Word, the principle applies to all types of work. We need to strive for excellence, no matter what our job.

So, instead of seeing work as a necessary evil that must be endured until the end of each day, perhaps we can ask ourselves:

Consider these four points:

1. Each problem on the job is an opportunity to do what is right and become more godly through it. James noted that when our faith is tested, it produces patience and ultimately makes us perfect and complete (James 1:3–4). Paul, too, observed that difficulties produce perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3–4).
2. The Lord will reward faithful work done for His sake. Even though we may not get the respect and pay we feel we deserve, God knows what we are doing, and will reward us accordingly, for we are ultimately serving the Lord, and not men (Ephesians 6:5–8; Colossians 3:23–24).
3. It pleases God for us to submit to both good and bad employers. After Peter urged workers to “submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh” (1 Peter 2:18–19), he reminded us that Jesus himself suffered wrongfully but endured it patiently (v. 21).
4. We are to overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17–18, 21 tells us: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil . . . If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Ask yourself:

So how can we avoid letting work dominate our lives? The answer lies in our expectations and our attitude towards it.

If we look at work as our primary source of fulfilment in life, then we will likely squeeze out all other interests in life—including our personal life, family, friends, church, and community interests—into the background. Work will become our god.

Solomon, the wise king and philosopher, famously said:

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
(Ecclesiastes 2:11)

But Solomon also wrote:

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God.
(Ecclesiastes 3:9–13).

Many of us get bogged down in the moment-by-moment activities of life, which can lead to frustration. But if we are able to put our trust in God’s sovereign control and live responsibly, we will find satisfaction.

Solomon was not suggesting that we take a pessimistic view of life or resigned ourselves to it passively. Rather, he was urging us to recognise that satisfaction with our work is a “gift of God”.

At this point, you might ask: Don’t I have to work hard to provide for myself and my family’s needs? Well, the Bible addresses this issue too.

In Matthew 6, Jesus told His followers not to fret about what they would eat or drink, but to seek first God’s kingdom; then God would supply their needs.

Too often, we get things backwards. We pursue the things of life first, thinking that we are the masters of our destinies, the sole providers of what we need to survive. But we may forget that ultimately, it is the Lord who supplies our needs, not our own efforts. While there is a place for hard work, the Lord is the One who blesses our efforts (Deuteronomy 6:10–12; Proverbs 10:4–5).

While we need to see the value that God places on our work, we also need to keep life in balance. We must see work as only one of many important parts of our lives. Work is necessary to survival and essential to living out the way God designed us. It gives us an avenue to fulfil our life’s purpose of loving God and loving others—but we are not to overdo it nor ignore it.

Ask yourself: