Resting in Christ: Overcoming Work Addiction
- 17 hours ago
- 6 min read
In our culture, being a workaholic is often praised. We admire those who are always busy, constantly pursuing goals, and relentlessly striving for success. We label this behavior with positive terms like hustler or go-getter. But if we’re honest, this admiration can sometimes mask something deeper—and more concerning.
If you believe relentless work is always a virtue, it may be worth pausing to ask why. In this guide, I want to gently explore why work can become a place of escape, how work addiction differs from healthy diligence, and why resting in Christ—not running toward work—is the path to true healing.
Table of Contents
Hard Work vs. Work Addiction
There is a clear difference between being a hard worker and being a workaholic.
A hard worker is diligent, responsible, and dependable. They complete tasks with integrity, manage their time well, and understand the value of service and contribution. Hard work is honorable and necessary, and Scripture affirms the value of honest labor.
A workaholic, however, uses work not just as a means of provision—but as a means of avoidance.
Work becomes a distraction.
Distraction: something that prevents someone from giving full attention to what truly needs to be addressed.
This raises an important question: How can working—something seemingly productive—be a form of avoidance?
When Work Becomes Escapism
A workaholic, as Kathleen Doheny describes in her WebMD article, titled “Working Yourself to Death: Long Hours Brings Risks,” discusses a 35-year-old single and childless woman who worked long hours to avoid the emptiness in her life.
My commentary of work as a distraction in this post focuses on that type of individual; one who is not at risk for poverty or malnourishment if their labor slows down.
Work addiction is not about survival or necessity. It often shows up in individuals who are not at risk of poverty if they slow down, but who force themselves to stay busy in order to avoid stillness.
Much like substance use, compulsive overworking can numb pain. The constant activity quiets inner dialogue, suppresses unresolved emotions, and delays healing.
Healthline defines work addiction (workaholism) as a compulsive behavior pattern in which a person is unable to control their need to work, often experiencing a dopamine “high” similar to other addictions. Over time, the work itself becomes the coping mechanism.
Avoidance Coping in Disguise
For some, work becomes a way to sidestep difficult realities rather than address them.
Maybe you work longer hours to avoid an ongoing argument with a partner. The relationship feels tense, dysfunctional, or emotionally unsafe, and staying busy seems like the easiest way to prevent conflict. This pattern is more common than many realize.
Or perhaps an issue has surfaced in your life that you know requires attention, but the thought of confronting it feels overwhelming. Instead of facing it directly, you immerse yourself in work—convincing yourself that productivity is the responsible choice.
Consider another example: you’ve maintained unhealthy eating habits for years and have begun experiencing physical symptoms that suggest something is wrong. You suspect it may be diabetes, especially given your family history or the symptoms you’ve researched. You know a medical appointment is necessary, yet fear keeps you from taking that step. Rather than seeking care, you throw yourself into work, hoping the symptoms will resolve on their own.
These scenarios illustrate how work can quietly become a means of avoiding problem management. What may appear as diligence or responsibility is, in reality, another form of distraction.
Psychologically, this pattern is known as avoidance coping. The American Psychological Association defines avoidance coping as:
Any strategy for managing a stressful situation in which a person does not address the problem directly but instead disengages from the situation and averts attention from it.
In the short term, avoidance can provide temporary relief when stress feels unmanageable. However, over time, consistently ignoring problems weakens our ability to cope and adapt. The brain is misled into believing the issue has resolved itself, when in reality it has simply gone unaddressed.
Working excessive hours to avoid emotional triggers, difficult conversations, or uncomfortable truths may feel productive, but it offers only short-lived relief. The underlying issue remains, waiting to be acknowledged.
The Cost of Work Addiction
One common sign of work addiction is using work to avoid authentic connection—with others and with oneself.
In many cultures outside the United States, family and connection take precedence over productivity. Yet in our society, success is often measured by output rather than presence. Over time, relationships suffer, emotional health deteriorates, and loneliness increases.
Others work to escape emotions altogether.
Emptiness, sadness, or restlessness are not failures—they are signals. Emotions serve as indicators that something within us needs attention. When we silence them with busyness, we delay the very healing God is inviting us into.
You Can Run—But You Cannot Hide
Not in a mosque or a temple…
What you are suppressing will show up like a pimple.
Not under a lace front or a wig….
Your silhouette will always sing a different jig.
The crease on your cheek, the twinkle in your eye…the tick in your sway
Tells an untold story, unalike the one you display.
Not while flying in the air…not under the accessories you wear
Not even the alterations of your hair
Can continue to smother your hidden self
You know it’s unfair.
Not in a box or a car….not in America or even afar
You will only arrive at a destination to face YOURSELF and all of your scars
How long will you run before you understand
The only way to reconcile is to take the leap while holding God's hand.
-Christ Mindfulness Co.
The COVID-19 pandemic should have taught us a sobering and invaluable lesson: when everything suddenly comes to a halt, we are forced to face what we have been avoiding.
For many, work slowed, routines collapsed, and the constant noise of busyness disappeared. Without the usual distractions, people were confronted with unresolved grief, anxiety, trauma, broken relationships, and spiritual emptiness. What had long been suppressed by productivity rose to the surface.
This is because we cannot hide from ourselves—and more importantly, we cannot hide from The Most High God.
Scripture reminds us:
“O LORD, You have searched me and known me… Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”— Psalm 139:1,7
God designed us for relationship with Him, and when we live disconnected from that relationship, our souls remain restless. The psalmist declares:
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.”— Psalm 62:1
Work, achievement, and busyness cannot quiet a restless soul—only God can. Often, the very thing we are running from is not our enemy, but the pathway God is using to draw us back to Him. The pain we avoid may be the doorway to repentance, restoration, and true healing.
Running delays healing. Facing God invites it.
Resting in Christ Is Not Laziness
Rest is not weakness. Rest is obedience.
From the very beginning, Scripture shows us that rest is part of God’s divine order:
“By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested… and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.”— Genesis 2:2–3
God did not rest because He was tired. He rested to establish rhythm, order, and trust. The Sabbath was later given to humanity as a gift—a reminder that life is sustained not by constant striving, but by reliance on God.
Resting in Christ means trusting that provision does not come solely from our effort, but from God’s faithfulness. It means releasing the belief that we must endlessly work to be worthy, secure, or safe.
Rest is not disengagement from responsibility—it is re-engagement with God.
The Path Forward: Heal, Don’t Hide
Healing begins with honesty.
The path forward is not found in running harder or working longer, but in inviting God into the very places we are tempted to avoid. Scripture does not tell us to heal ourselves or figure everything out alone. Jesus clearly states:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest… and you will find rest for your souls.”— Matthew 11:28–29
Healing requires courage—the courage to ask God for wisdom, clarity, and strength to face what feels uncomfortable. It requires surrender—acknowledging that God already sees what we are hiding and still invites us closer.
When we stop hiding and begin healing, we allow God to do what only He can do: restore, renew, and make whole.
A Final Encouragement
If you don’t know where to start, begin with prayer—simple, honest, and sincere.
A Prayer for Healing and Rest
Father God, I come to You weary and tired of running. Show me the places in my heart where I have been hiding instead of healing. Give me wisdom to see clearly, courage to face what I fear, and strength to trust You. I invite You into every area of my life—especially the ones I’ve avoided. Teach me how to rest in You and receive the healing You freely give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
You do not have to heal alone. You do not have to strive endlessly. And you do not have to run anymore.
Rest is waiting for you—in Christ.
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