It was Greek thought that first called into question the merits of hard work, seeing manual labor as a curse. This has pervaded many cultures and may now be breaking into our own.
Rather than satisfying our deepest need to be productive, work too often is simply a way to obtain a paycheck. No doubt, technology denigrates the work ethic. We have created mechanical solutions for nearly every task and the sweat of the brow is now replaced by the whir of a machine or the silent calculations of a computer.
“Work smarter, not harder” is a credo of nearly every corporation. Every slacker who wants to wiggle out of work loves this saying. But Ecclesiates tells us “It is good and proper for a man to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun … to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God”
God sees our labors and he is pleased. He respects those that work and so should we. Martin Luther wrote that “the works of monks and priests in God’s sight are in no way whatever superior to the works of a farmer laboring in the field or a of a woman working in her home.” The reformer went on to say that “Man does not live for himself alone .. but he lives also for all men on earth.”
Work helps our fellow man. We all wish we could do more for other people. But performing our best in our labors is the highest compliment we can provide for others. When we strive for excellence, we do so for God and we do so for those we serve.
Three men worked on a large building project. One was asked, “What are you doing?” “I’m mixing mortar,” he said. The second man said, “I’m helping put up this great stone wall.” When the third man was asked, he replied, “I’m building a cathedral to the glory of God.”
The Bible tells us that “Whatever we do in word or deed, we should do as unto the Lord.”
So here’s a cheer … for work!
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