Be Glad for Troubles

Updated September 2026 with what the Bible says about trouble, reflection questions, and practical ways to handle problems at work.

Citing management consultant Robert Updegraff, Max Lucado wrote:

You ought to be glad for the troubles on your job because they provide about half your income. If it were not for the things that go wrong, the difficult people with whom you deal, and the problems of your working day, someone could be found to handle your job for half of what you are being paid. So start looking for more troubles. Learn to handle them cheerfully and with good judgment, as opportunities rather than irritations, and you will find yourself getting ahead at a surprising rate. For there are plenty of big jobs waiting for people who are not afraid of troubles.

Why this still matters

Think about the last hard day you had at work. The email that went sideways. The person who never answers. The project that broke right before the deadline. It’s easy to see all of that as the thing standing between you and your real job.

This quote flips that around. The troubles are a big part of the job. Anyone can handle a day when everything goes right. You’re valuable because you can handle the days when it doesn’t.

What the Bible says about trouble

Scripture never promises a trouble-free life. Jesus told His disciples plainly that they would have trouble in this world, and then told them to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

James goes further. He says to consider it joy when you face trials, because testing your faith produces endurance, and endurance makes you mature and complete (James 1:2-4). Paul says something similar: suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-5).

Your work matters to God, too. Paul tells believers to work wholeheartedly, as for the Lord and not for people (Colossians 3:23), and to do everything without grumbling or arguing (Philippians 2:14). That doesn’t mean pretending problems are fun. It means you can face them with a different posture.

How to handle troubles at work

Here’s what I recommend when a problem lands on your desk:

Name it clearly. What exactly went wrong, and who does it affect?
Separate the problem from the person. Difficult people are usually dealing with their own pressure.
Come with solutions, not just judgments. Bring one or two options to your boss, not just the complaint.
Keep your cool. Handling it “cheerfully and with good judgment” is a choice you make before you open your mouth.
Write down what you learned. Next time, you’ll fix it faster, and that’s exactly how you grow.

One caution. Being glad for troubles doesn’t mean staying quiet about abuse, harassment, or a truly unhealthy workplace. Growth through hard things is good. Enduring harm is not the same thing. If that’s where you are, get help and talk to someone you trust. (If you’re wondering what a healthy workplace looks like, here’s how to know you have a great boss.)

Questions to sit with

What problem at work are you avoiding right now?
How would you approach it if you saw it as an opportunity instead of an irritation?
Where is God building endurance or character in you through a hard season?
Is there a difficult person you could pray for this week?

Start with one

You don’t have to love every problem. Start with one. Pick the thing that’s been irritating you most, and handle it well this week. Then do the next one. The big jobs really are waiting for people who aren’t afraid of troubles, and God can use every one of them to shape you.