“Human beings, it seems, are at their best when immersed deeply in something challenging.”
— Cal Newport, Deep Work, p. 84
What we think we want isn’t always what we need.
For instance, we imagine that life would be great if we had a long stretch of time when we didn’t have anything to do and no responsibilities. Yet we get a few days off, and after a while we start to feel restless and bored. We need something to do.
Don’t get me wrong—rest is good and absolutely necessary. In fact, God gave Israel the idea of the Sabbath for this very purpose. Yet there’s something odd that happens when free time is all we have: it rarely refreshes us as much as we expected.
One of my favorite habits is flipping back through books I’ve read to revisit the highlights. The other day, while doing this with Cal Newport’s Deep Work, I paused on a quote where Newport summarizes the research of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi—the man who studied the “flow state,” that experience of being fully absorbed in a meaningful, challenging activity. His conclusion?
“Ironically, jobs are actually easier to enjoy than free time, because like flow activities they have built-in goals, feedback rules, and challenges, all of which encourage one to become involved in one’s work, to concentrate and lose oneself in it. Free time, on the other hand, is unstructured, and requires much greater effort to be shaped into something that can be enjoyed.”
I find this fascinating. We tell ourselves that unstructured time is what we need, but the reality is that most of us thrive with the structure that comes with work. Not only does work provide a plan for the day, but it often provides us with the goals and feedback we need to make life productive.
This means having more time to relax won’t necessarily make us happier. Our goal shouldn’t be to reduce effort, avoid stress, and stay comfortable—those things have their place, but I think this research pushes us to consider something deeper about how God designed us.
Why We Crave Challenge More Than Comfort
Newport points out that most people assume happiness comes from leisure. Yet when researchers measured people’s emotional states throughout the day, they consistently discovered the opposite: people were happier at work than during their free time.
Why?
Because meaningful work gives us structure, purpose, and feedback. It engages the mind. It stretches our skills. It calls something out of us. We are created to be productive, and therefore we have a desire in our hearts to spend our lives doing something meaningful.
Free time, on the other hand, is unstructured. It requires intention and effort to shape into something fulfilling. Left on its own, it usually gets filled with scrolling, grazing, or drifting—which often leaves us feeling like we’ve wasted our time.
It’s not that free time is bad—we need time to rest and find restoration. But we need to understand that we come alive when we’re engaged in work that demands our best.
We were made for purpose, not passivity.
A Biblical Echo
This insight into human nature aligns wonderfully with the biblical story of God’s purpose for people.
Adam was not placed in Eden to rest; he was given the responsibility of caring for God’s good creation (Genesis 2:15). Work was part of God’s good design from the beginning.
Paul wrote:
“But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone” — (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12, CSB).
Wholehearted work is not a curse that resulted from sin. It is the way we take care of God’s creation and represent Him well in the world.
Even Jesus spoke about the satisfaction that comes from doing the Father’s will: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
There is joy in meaningful work and productivity. It’s the joy of using what God has given us and not letting time slip through our fingers.
Where We Lose Our Way
Unfortunately, in our modern world, we often make comfort the goal of life. We believe the good life is the easy life. We dream of more vacations and fun, fewer responsibilities, and an escape from anything that requires sustained effort.
But that dream fails us.
A life of ease doesn’t fulfill the desire of our hearts. There’s little doubt that we need moments of rest and relaxation to enjoy the world God has given us, but we also find our purpose through working in this world.
Adam and Eve were to be stewards of creation, and that responsibility continues in us. This is why we find joy in creating new things and pleasure in bringing old things back to life. It’s why things like gardening, sewing, and woodworking are hobbies that people pursue—they’re outlets for both creativity and productivity, and they bring us rest and satisfaction in the work we’ve accomplished.
Endless scrolling and lounging on the couch may not be work, but they often don’t bring rest either, because they don’t meet the deeper desires of our hearts—desires for meaning and purpose.
It’s crucial to remember: a life of ease doesn’t bring us the happiness we think is there. The joy we need is found on the other side of a structured life and meaningful work.
Your Deep Work Might Be Different—But You Have One
What does this mean for us?
I have to admit that not all work is created equal. Yes, there are times when you feel like you’re just going through the motions at work, and the structure it provides isn’t as beneficial as it used to be. What this means is that we have to be the ones who put structure into our days.
This looks like building in routines that help us exercise, journal, meditate, and pray. It means finding hobbies that become part of our lives—maybe even treating them like appointments in our week—because we know they provide the structure and creativity our hearts need. It’s telling ourselves that things like helping our children with homework, doing dishes, folding laundry, and the thousands of other responsibilities are part of what it takes for our corner of the world to flourish.
Colossians 3:17 has become something of a life verse for me:
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (CSB).
This is the perspective we need to make our work meaningful, because it reminds us that what we do is for the good of God’s Kingdom.
An Invitation to Go Deep
Here’s the question I’m asking myself after reflecting on Newport’s words: What structure do I need to add to my day to make my work meaningful and productive?
This is important because that’s the type of work that brings joy and gratitude into our lives.
And maybe you can ask yourself: Where would I thrive if I allowed myself to be challenged instead of staying distracted and comfortable?
Because here’s the truth Csikszentmihalyi discovered and the Bible affirms:
You were made to stretch.
You were created to invest.
You are at your best when you give yourself to something meaningful.
Not endlessly busy.
Not hurried.
But deeply engaged.
That’s where joy lives.
