Listening to the Holy Spirit:
There is great benefit in work. For before the fall it was put in place, that man would prosper in it. For in accomplishment is man’s food. A journey without meaning is without life. All that is great is accomplished, by both God and by man. He that brings forth, must work to do so. To give birth, to create, to aid for increase, these all fulfill and please. To see the great satisfaction brought about by good work, it is to a father’s pleasure in his son. So too with My own. As good work gives pleasure to he that toils, so to to He that gives life. For the accomplishments of life are life received from He that is the Author of Life. Do not curse what is to be blessing. Do not distain what I call good. Work diligently to receive what cannot be received in sloth and slumber. There is prize in the sweat of the brow.
Prv 12:11 (ESV) – Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
Prv 13:4 (ESV) – A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Eccl 3:12-13 (ESV) – I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man
Eph 2:10 (ESV) – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Taking It to Work:
Accomplishment, it’s truly one of the joys of life. Whether is it putting together the deal of a lifetime, finishing the garage, or successfully hosting friends for dinner, there is an unmistakable internal reward in a work well done, IF you take the time to feel good about it; to celebrate it.
Work, in many people’s minds, gets a bad rap. Even by itself, the word “work” can have a negative connotation, whether your thinking about the labor that is going to have to go into something, or the thought of “work” as that place you have to go every day to make a living. It’s true though, after the fall of man, there came added burden in going to work, but God never intended our work to be only burden.
Solomon had much to say about work. Not only did he point out work put food on our tables, and was God’s way of bringing provision to our homes, but it was a way of receiving joy and pleasure form life, going so far to saying our work is a gift directly from God’s hand to give us joy and satisfaction.
So why then is work such a struggle for so many? I believe because we are not taking the time for seeing good. We’re not taking the time to be thankful, for the provision, the opportunity, the ability to do what God has equipped us to do. We spend too much time focusing negative. Instead, we need to look at the accomplishments that our work allows us to have, especially the Kingdom work that we talk about so much in these devotionals.
Our work, our ability to work, and the impact we can have at work, are gifts many in the world will never have. We are blessed. Maybe task #1 today is to contemplate and thank Him for that blessing, as His Word works in you, today.
