“I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” – Ecclesiastes 2:18-25
Ever consider why you are working? Is it to put a roof over your head? Is it to buy this or that “have to have” thing?” Why are you working?
How about this question: Are you giving your work the very best you have to offer? At the end of the day, do you have a sense of fulfillment and contentment that you put in a honest day’s work? Or are you doing just what you have to do- what you can to get by? One thing for sure…we live in a culture that doesn’t glorify laziness. And even though we can let work get out of hand – it’s helpful to know that laziness is not a quality that God admires either. He wants us to do what we do with all our might, because laziness will allow our life to pass by without ever experiencing significant accomplishment.
You may not be that happy in your job, but remember, fulfillment and purpose in your work will not come apart from God. When we work to please ourselves, or the people around us more than God, we will always be controlled by the successes and failures that our work produces. When we work to please God, we find that He gives us direction and a sense of meaning even when it’s hard – even when our talent is underutilized.
So, wherever you are working, first, be thankful you have a job. Then, give it your very best – to please God – for you surely aren’t of any use when you are not.
