Work hurt is real, and ministry leaders aren’t exempt. Whether it’s being let go, navigating toxic work environments, or simply enduring deep disappointments, our vocational pain can shape us in ways we never expected—and often never wanted. In this episode, author of When Work Hurts , shares her own journey through work hurt, explores the different ways leaders experience vocational pain, and offers practical and spiritual resources for healing and resilience. THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Meryl Herr shares her personal story of “work hurt” and how it led her to address the topic in her work and writing. Meryl Herr describes feeling disillusioned early in her career when her expectations for work did not align with reality, leading to discouragement and even unexpected job loss. Work hurt occurs when people sustain physical or psychological injuries in their workplace. Meryl Herr categorizes work hurt as stemming from toxic systems, unhealthy cultures, issues of job fit, and personal mistakes. Work hurt can be experienced as disappointment, disillusionment, or devastation, each having different causes and emotional impacts. Meryl Herr notes that people’s tolerance for disappointment, disillusionment, and devastation is highly individual. Significant numbers of workers experience work hurt, including burnout, discrimination, and disengagement, as reflected in recent research and statistics. Discrimination and harassment at work affect certain demographic groups more acutely, highlighting systemic injustice and inequity. Meryl Herr stresses the need for individuals to acknowledge and process their work-related pain, rather than internalizing it or transmitting it to others. If people do not transform their work pain, they risk transmitting it as cynicism, projection, or stress in personal and family relationships. Community support, honest conversation, prayer—especially lament—and listening to God are central strategies for healing from work hurt. Meryl Herr encourages practices of discerning God’s presence and call, likening vocational discernment to “wayfinding” that requires attention to context, one’s gifts, and God’s invitation. Being called to a vocation or job does not mean one is exempt from pain or suffering; Meryl Herr and Markus Watson both connect this to biblical examples of hardship in the midst of calling. Pastors play an important role by understanding and addressing the work hurt in their congregations and by providing practical, emotional, and spiritual support. Meryl Herr recommends cultivating “everyday faithfulness,” showing up and doing the daily work set before us as a foundational way to keep moving forward through disruption, loss, and fear. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS: Meryl Herr: Website – www.merylherr.com DePree Center for Leadership Books mentioned: When Work Hurts , by Meryl Herr Falling Upward , by Ruchard Rohr Related episodes: 114. Meaningful Work, with Michaela O’Donnell 125. Fruitful Leadership, with Tom Nelson Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM .
