NEARLY HALF OF WORKERS HATE THEIR JOB. THE NEXT GENERATION DOESN'T HAVE TO.

Someone recently told me a story about their coworker.

This person works for an organization most people would consider a great place to work.

But every time they log into their work computer, they type the same password:

"F***thisplace"

I apologize for being crass. But if you've spent enough time in the working world, this probably doesn't shock you.

You've probably heard worse.

Most people don't take it that far. But the attitude is everywhere.

People complain and talk about work like it's barely above a living hell.

I wish I were being dramatic.

But according to one study, nearly half of American workers dislike their jobs so much they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemy.

Yikes.

Here's the problem.

Young people are watching all of this.

They hear adults talk about work like it's always miserable.

They see people drag themselves through the week and pick up the idea that work is mainly about getting a paycheck and escaping from it as often as possible.

That's the story the world is handing them.

So how do we hand them a better one?

I think we have to go back to the beginning. Back to why we work in the first place.

At Made4More, we help young people see work as one of the primary places where they can glorify God, serve others, and reveal Christ to the world.

In other words, when we work for the Lord, our work has a purpose beyond ourselves (Col 3:23).

That doesn't mean the work won't be hard, or even agonizing.

But as the Apostle Paul reminds us, our labor for the Lord is never in vain (1 Cor 15:58).

If we don't teach them this, the world will teach them something else.

It will hand them a story that quietly steals the joy and purpose God designed for work from the very beginning.

So here's the question for you.

What are the teens in your life hearing about work right now?

Are they learning that work is something to endure? Or that it's an opportunity to glorify God and serve others?

If we want the next generation to approach work differently than the world around them, we should start by teaching them a better story.