when work hurts: building resilience when you’re beat up or burnt out

Sometimes Work Hurts

We might be discouraged, disillusioned, or devastated by our work. We might experience trauma or harassment on the job, or we may have experienced work loss by getting fired. If you’ve been beat up, burnt out, or brokenhearted by work, you’re not alone.

The Bible tells us that work will be difficult--filled with thorns and thistles--but no one prepares us for the pain we experience on the job. In When Work Hurts Meryl Herr

• Explores the emotional, relational, and vocational pain that work causes and helps us rebound and build resilience so we can fully participate with God in his mission,
• Walks through the biblical story of the Israelites’ journey of exile, return, and rebuilding as a framework for spiritual and practical resources for navigating work loss, and
• Shows that we can take comfort in the fact that God is at work in the midst of our work to bring healing and hope.

＂This book is a timely, uplifting resource that speaks to both the heart and mind. With a deep understanding of Scripture and descriptions about her journey, Herr expertly helps readers who want to integrate faith into their professional lives and navigate workplace challenges to reclaim a sense of purpose and hope.＂ - Library Journal Review, February 2025

Meryl Herr (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the owner of The GoodWorks Group LLC, a consulting firm specializing in educational program planning and evaluation. She previously served as director of research and resources at Fuller Seminary’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where she conducted research and created resources to help Christian marketplace leaders integrate their faith with their work. Meryl lives with her family near Athens, Georgia.