Ever Struggle with Work?
“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”
Summer Vacation Road Trip #Awesome!
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Ever "live for the weekend" or "hate hump day" or "dread Monday" and "can't wait 'till the day you retire?" Why do we have to work and why does work have to be hard? What is the truth about work and how do you have a great attitude about it?
This week was the first week back at school for my son. It is always a tough adjustment because Summer is AWESOME! I think everyone, at some time, wishes that summer was just the way it was and supposed to be. My son definitely wishes it was that way all the time and now that there is consistent work there is a lot of friction and a really bad attitude. As a dad, I want to help and so here were the thoughts I believe are worthy to remember when we work.
1. We were made to work: Work, no matter what you do, is how you were created to function. In the above verse, work or "labor" is assumed. That means that not doing work is not an option if you want to live a fulfilled life. The question is not if you will work but what will come of your work. Remember the Garden? It wasn't a vacation. Adam and Eve were created to work (see Genesis 2:15 in the quote box)
2. Work was intended to bear good "fruit" and that doesn't just mean what we produce is good like a good line of code or a good event or widget. It means that we will feel fulfilled, purposeful and a sense of meaning when we work.
That leads to point #3
3. The outcome of our work (whether it be homework, school work or 9-5 work) is a measure of how well we are living according to God's plan.
So check Psalm 128 out. Remember what "blessed" means? (It doesn't mean that you get good stuff. "blessed" means you are "living rightly") Those who "labor" or work, can tell they are living right when their work produces stuff that gives them energy, strength a sense of fulfillment and purpose.
If you have jumped to the scary conclusion that "my fulfillment at work is not tied to what I do but HOW I DO IT" then you are on the right track. That is exactly what the witness of Scripture announces all the way through. What you do doesn't matter. It is HOW YOU DO IT that matters. When we do our work rightly (blessedly) then we will feel a sense of purpose and meaning no matter what it is.
This begs the question as to what is the right way to do our work. The Apostle Paul has the answer. In Colossians 3:23 he writes: "whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Think about it for a moment. If you believe that the copy making, annoying math problems, program production, people management, etc you are currently doing was actually your assignment from the Savior, then doesn't that change the way you feel and the result of the work you are doing. It absolutely does.
If you believe that the work you are doing is the work Jesus (Who died for you and knows how what you are doing works in His plan) assigned to you, then don't you do it with joy? Isn't there automatic purpose to it even if you can't see how it fits in the big picture?
So, do you work as for the Lord and not for men and live a blessed life no matter what you are working on!
