Why do you work? What do you think about your work? Are you happy with it? Do you dread going to work? Can you not wait to retire? Let me tell you what God has told me about how work brings hope,
One of the things I learned is that God created me to work. It was His intent that I work. In Genesis God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth but He also put Adam and Eve in charge of caring for the garden. God gave us work as a gift. As Solomon said, “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.” Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (ESV) God does not distinguish between what we call secular work and kingdom work to Him I believe all work is kingdom work because my work is a gift from God. I have had the pleasure of serving God in my work in several different capacities most many would call secular work, but I think of it all as kingdom work because I believe that God gave me each of my careers for such a time as He wanted. I tried to do them all for His glory alone. That is why I believe God commanded man not to work too much. He knew that I would overdo it and work too much. He was right. Because as I take joy in my work in God’s creation I want to work more. So, he laid out some restrictions for me in the third commandment. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV) I truly gave me this command so that I might understand my need to rest.
Another thing that I learned as I read the scriptures is that my work is to be done for His glory and His glory alone. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (ESV)and Solomon told us, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) What a message of hope I see in these passages. As I commit my work to Him and for His glory, He will establish my plans. Do you want that hope?
I pray that you join me in committing your work to God and doing it for in doing so there is great hope. Hope because you are honoring Him, He is establishing your plans, and you are fulfilling Gods call for your work.
. We need to be decisive in the fact that God loves us so much He sent His Son Jesus that we might have eternal life. In doing so you will find the only true source of hope. Remember though that all sin is forgivable except the sin of unbelieve in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for my sins and yours as well. It satisfied all my sins from the past, in the present, and in the future. My penalty and yours were satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because wisdom shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press
