From Work As a Calling To Work As an Addiction
Recognizing the Warning Signs Of an Unhealthy Approach To Work and What To Do About It
By Arianna Molloy, Ph.D.
Meaningful work is magnetic. When work aligns with a sense of calling, combining our skill-sets and passions, initiating an internal response of “yes!” to our Caller (God), and making a positive impact on community, there’s a specific kind of deep satisfaction which ignites the rest of our lives. In fact, more than any other peer group, those who experience a sense of calling in work are more motivated, have greater well-being, resilience, and sense of purpose. And yet, of all the approaches to work, those who feel called are also most prone to burnout. Why? One part of the answer has to do with a widely accepted addiction.
As we enter into a conversation about addiction, let me preface by saying that the main goal of this article is not to cover an exhaustive history of, or current landscape of addiction. Rather, our focus is on how healthy callings turn into toxic callings, and ways to readjust and recover when this happens. One way to understand toxic callings is to examine the shift of work as a calling to work as an addiction. If you’re reading this and you have personal or family trauma with addiction and want to investigate this further, a few good places to start might be to look into sources like Cloud and Townsend’s Boundaries, or even Charles Duhigg’s Power of Habit.
We may feel tempted to rank certain addictions as more problematic than others, couching it much like some do with “little white lies.” However, before moving too much in that direction, let’s review what an addiction really is. Here’s what an addiction involves: it starts off as an act that feels good, but slowly it’s less about feeling good and more about avoiding the bad feelings from not doing it. Workaholics intentionally and unintentionally tend to twist the truth to serve their need for a fix (e.g., I’ll just finish this one work project and then I’ll slow down). Employers love workaholics because they are the folks who are always willing to take on more and work longer hours.
Workaholics are usually well-liked because they are reliable in their perceived capacity to take on more and their willingness to say “yes,” even when others decline. This results in having more responsibility and social capital. Social capital is when we collect positive relationships with others in a way that creates a network of connections and possible opportunities. It’s like winning a popularity contest.
Workaholism not only impacts our professional lives, it impacts our personal lives as well. Personal relationships and commitments suffer because we view them as secondary. Physical health suffers because we see our bodies as an impediment or obstacle. Have you ever heard someone say, “I wish we didn’t have to sleep. I could get so much more done!”? Workaholism means avoiding times of reflection, seeing rest as optional or even evidence of laziness, when really rest and reflection feels incredibly uncomfortable. Why? Because if we keep going, keep moving, keep busy we don’t have to think about things in our lives that aren’t working. Productivity becomes the measuring stick of personal self-worth.
Most importantly, when a calling turns into an addiction, the most valuable relationship suffers – our relationship with God. Work becomes a momentary fix rather than a fulfilling expression of who we are. One of the reasons work calling is so prone to move towards workaholism is because of the holy responsibility we feel towards responding to our Caller and making a difference. If we feel called, we see the need and we see how we can help. We sense the Lord moving in us and it’s a wonderful feeling to say, “yes, Lord, use me” and feel him doing just that!
There’s a particular kind of intimacy with the Caller when we’re actually able to live out our sense of calling. Saying “no,” even when it’s the right thing to do, can feel like we are saying no God, and to making something better for others. That bad feeling doesn’t actually mean it’s bad, and it doesn’t necessarily mean we are saying no to God. Setting healthy limits on our work time is a surrendered kind of yes to the Lord, which reminds us who is really in charge and why. It helps us take notice of other parts of our lives that may need attention.
What would it look like to insert these kinds of healthy parameters for those with workaholic tendencies? A common thread among those who manage to stay on the healthy side of calling, rather than allowing it to become a compulsion includes being able to pause from work for other relational priorities. For example, Rob, a financial advisor, said when he has bad days, days when his work calling felt unusually hard, “I go home and play with the kids. I am really trying hard these days not to get too caught up in my calling, frankly. You want to be called, but by the same token, you don’t want to get sucked in so deeply that it’s all you see.” Notice, when Rob has bad days at work, he doesn’t work more. He doesn’t set out to prove his worth in work. He takes a break, turns to his family, remembers what else has value in his life.
If workaholism has taken hold of you, if you find yourself cringing or becoming uncomfortable as you read this section, here’s the first thing I want you to know: Life doesn’t have to keep looking like this. The path from workaholism to burnout is pretty clear. We were literally designed to take a sabbath, being made in the image of God who chose to rest after his work of creating (Genesis 1:26 – Genesis 2:2). When we choose to overwork, letting work attempt to feed our sense of identity in a way only God can, we are choosing to depart from our primary calling, to love God and love others.
Burnout is a liar and one if its greatest tactics is shame. Here’s the second thing: Addictions can’t be broken alone. You need others to help you. Needing help is a good thing. Don’t put off making a change until tomorrow.
Untangling yourself from this workaholic pace can feel like an uphill process. One good place to start is by apologizing to your family and friends, and then asking a trusted few for help to set new, healthy boundaries. It will be messy, but it’s worth it. Freedom tastes so much better than the fake pleasure of addiction. Below is a prayer I wrote for you, one I have prayed over you as I wrote these words. May it be a help to you in this calling journey.
Orienting Prayer:
Loving God, thank you for your faithfulness. Please forgive me for the areas in my life I have allowed to become an addiction or an idol. I need your help, Lord. I surrender these areas of unhealthiness and ask for your help. Please bring people in my life to help me make healthy changes. Lord, thank you that you are relational. You are not a dictator; you are the Shepherd. You are not an uncaring king; you are the Wounded Savior. You are not an arbitrary rule-maker, you are the merciful completion of the law as Love. Help me to keep this at the forefront of my mind and heart. Break any hold that shame may have on me, and help me to see you as the loving and relational God that you are. Help me to hear you speak love over me. Amen.
[1] This excerpt was taken from Healthy Calling by Arianna Molloy. ©2025 by Arianna Molloy. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com.