Why Am I Working So Hard?

Good Morning,

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” - Edgar Bergen 

“Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.”

-  Charlie McCarthy 

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

“Work” -The exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. That is how the dictionary defines this thing called work that most of us are pouring our life into, or at least have in the past. Work is something we are made for and called to do. Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Work is part of God’s design for life here on earth. He gave Adam and Eve work to do – tiling the soil, caring for the garden, and naming all the animals to start with.

Furthermore, in Col. 3:23 we see that our work is an opportunity to glorify God. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Just as the way we prioritize our life, treat our neighbors, and handle our finances are reflections of our heart, so is the way we approach our work.

For millions in America the two primary purposes for working are to fund their life and prepare for retirement. Obviously, neither of these are bad things. In fact, the bible speaks highly of providing and planning. As we discussed last month however, both of those things are focused primarily on the short end of the rope.  We have even gone so far as making the ability to retire early a badge of achievement. I know countless people who are working crazy hours, living under great stress, and sacrificing significant time with their families primarily so some day they can stop doing just that. God meant for our work to have a higher purpose.

The question for this morning is this. “Am I really working just so I can quit working? Or is there a transcendent element to my work? Is the way I work, the respect I show my boss and peers, the grace I extend to my customers and the integrity in how I conduct business glorifying to God? Does it stand out in such a way that people notice? Do I use my career to plant eternal seeds? Do I use the fruit of my labors to help the poor, widows and needy? Do I cultivate opportunities for Kingdom conversations and Kingdom advancement? 

You don’t have to be a paid minister to do this. Because whether you are paid to do a ministry job or not, if you are a follower of Christ, you are in full-time ministry. This gives purpose and meaning to every job on the planet, including yours.

Questions to ponder this week:

1.    Take time to step back and think about how you approach your work.

2.    How can your job take on a new, more eternal perspective?

3.    How can you glorify God in the course of doing your job?

Live on purpose, Ron Klopfenstein, CPLC