The Blessing of Work November 15, 2015

Read Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Colossians 3:23      Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Ecclesiastes 9:10     Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ephesians 6:7     Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,

Colossians 3:17     And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord …

2 Chronicles 31:21     And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, …

Many of the jobs I held as a youth were arduous and boring; but I was glad to get the work because I needed the money. Now, in my senior years, when I join a group on a mission trip, I expect to be on the business end of a shovel, an axe, or another tool that requires exertion and my best effort. While my aging muscles and joints are now taxed to a greater extent, I find satisfaction in the work.

The teacher in Ecclesiastes encourages us to find satisfaction in our labor. Working for God is the path to fruitful living. Also, Paul writes: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).

In some of my work, I have had trouble finding God’s blessing. However, God has patiently waited for me to realize through experience the blessing of doing all work for God. When we work as for the Lord, we find ourselves longing to do more.