🎥 Video 7B Transcript: What Not to Do When Someone Says, “I Don’t Know Why I’m Doing This Anymore”

Hi, I am Haley, a Christian Leaders Institute presenter.

When someone in the workplace starts speaking from spiritual fatigue or meaning crisis, many people respond too quickly.

They get nervous.
They get preachy.
They get overly positive.
Or they try to force clarity before the person is ready.

That is why marketplace chaplains need to know what not to do.

First, do not answer too fast.

If someone says, “I don’t know why I’m doing this anymore,” do not jump in with the first uplifting sentence that comes to mind. Do not rush to say, “God has a plan,” or, “You just need to trust Him more,” or, “You need to remember your purpose.”

Those statements may contain truth, but badly timed truth can still land poorly.

Second, do not reduce everything to burnout.

Burnout may be part of the picture. But sometimes the person is carrying more than fatigue. They may be wrestling with moral compromise, calling confusion, shame, spiritual dryness, or the feeling that their work no longer aligns with who they are becoming.

Third, do not panic if the person sounds discouraged.

A person expressing meaning loss is not always on the edge of total collapse. Sometimes they are finally putting language to something they have been carrying for a long time. Calm listening matters more than dramatic reaction.

Fourth, do not preach at pain.

If someone is spiritually burdened, the chaplain should not turn the conversation into a sermon. This is especially important in the workplace, where timing, privacy, and emotional capacity all matter.

Fifth, do not force a spiritual performance.

Do not say, “Let’s pray right now,” without permission.
Do not quote five verses in a row.
Do not make the person feel like they need to respond in a visibly spiritual way to prove they still have faith.

Sixth, do not oversimplify the problem.

Some people are asking deep questions:

• Does my work still matter?
• Is this job harming me?
• Have I drifted from my calling?
• Am I becoming hard?
• Why do I feel spiritually dry all the time?

Those are not solved by slogans.

Seventh, do not make the conversation about yourself.

Do not rush into your own story too quickly. Similar experience may help later. But early in the conversation, the worker needs room for their own words.

Ministry Sciences helps us here. When people are spiritually burdened, they may also be emotionally tired and mentally overloaded. That means they often need slower, simpler, lower-pressure care. Too much content becomes one more weight.

So what should you do instead?

Listen carefully.
Ask one clear question.
Protect dignity.
Stay calm.
Offer prayer by permission.
Let the person name the burden before you try to interpret it.

A strong marketplace chaplain does not fear deep questions.

A strong marketplace chaplain simply refuses to answer them too cheaply.

That is wise ministry.

And in the workplace, wise ministry often begins with restraint.