The Gift Of Work

Work and money are some major keywords throughout the bible.  Perhaps this is because so many of us have trouble with them.  There is much balance in our everyday lives that is needed when it comes to these two issues.  Being handed everything leaves many of us always expecting that to be the case and being lazy in many other aspects of our lives.  On the other hand, those of us who work ourselves without allowing time to enjoy it often find ourselves neglecting family, friends, children, hobbies, faith, etc.

Rest for the Weary “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 10:28-30 NIV

Pleasures Are Meaningless

There are also the cases where we try something we think we will be good at or fall into a job we could never see ourselves doing; we work hard at it and fail.  There is also the "I took it for the money" position where we sit day in and day out as our sense of self withers away and we sink into boredom and unappreciation.  Life is a huge experiment.  We try new things, go new places, and meet new people as part of a bigger story to see what our purpose is within God's plot.  He made all of us with a purpose and fighting that purpose can leave us unhappy and rather devistated. 
Not everyone was made to dance, sing, cook, be good with numbers, fly a plane, etc.  We were all made with unique combinations and it is our job to discover our passions through God and use them for God.  I have told myself so many times, "I would rather be barely making it but love my job than have all the money in the world and hate what I do."

"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."  Hebrews 6:11-12

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man. Since you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving."  Colossians 3:23-25 NIV

Questions to consider on our WORK journey:

• Who in your life has taught you your work ethic?
• What does work and sacrifice have to do with each other?
• When did you give your best and worked your hardest?
• When did you work hard and fail?When did you work hard and fail?
• What is worth working for?What is worth working for?
• When did you work hard with no desire to be paid?
• Do we always relate working hard with money?
• Do we need rest; do we need the Sabbath?
• Is being lazy always bad? When is it all right to be lazy?
• What makes “work” satisfying, meaningful, and fulfilling?
• Why do we sometimes hesitate to do “good works”?
• What are the enemies of doing “good works”?
• Jesus washed his disciples feet; is there work that we consider to be beneath us? Consider caring for the incognizant, elderly, Alzheimer, etc.?
• How do people in your family care for one another?
• How do you and your friends care for one another?
• Should we be self-sufficient or inter-dependant?
• How do we work for God and not for man?
• Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper?
• Does working hard always guarantee success?

"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.  My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.  Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."  Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV