#239 THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WORKING 10-5-26

Working for the Lord is a privilege. We sometimes talk about work as though it were a punishment, something we endure until we can finally stop doing it. But work was part of God’s design before sin ever entered the world. God placed Adam in the garden “to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work was not the curse. The curse made work difficult.

There is dignity in honest labor. There is satisfaction in finishing something well. There is joy in knowing that our hands have been useful and that our efforts have helped somebody else.

THE PURPOSE OF WORK

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

That changes the way we look at work.

The Christian does not work merely for a paycheck, a promotion, or the approval of a supervisor. We work ultimately for the Lord. Whether we are preaching a sermon, repairing a machine, cleaning a building, raising children, answering a phone, or doing something nobody notices, God sees it.

Our work can become worship when it is done for Him. Jesus Himself worked. He was known as “the carpenter” (Mark 6:3). The hands that would one day be pierced by nails had spent years handling wood. There is something beautiful about that.

THE PLEASURE OF WORK

Ecclesiastes 3:13 says that “every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.”

Work can be tiring, but it can also be deeply satisfying. There is something rewarding about looking back at a day and knowing you accomplished something worthwhile.

Even small tasks matter.

A meal prepared.

A room cleaned.

A sermon studied.

A person encouraged.

A problem solved.

A job completed.

God is not measuring our work merely by its size. He sees the heart behind it.

Jesus said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17).

THE PERSISTENCE OF WORK

Work also teaches us perseverance.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Sometimes you work and nobody applauds.

Sometimes you serve and nobody says thank you.

Sometimes you do the right thing and wonder whether it made any difference.

Keep working.

God sees.

Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love.”

What a promise.

Our labor in the Lord is never wasted.

There will come a day when the work is finished. Until then, there are people to serve, souls to reach, burdens to carry, and good things to do.

So do not despise ordinary work.

Do it faithfully.

Do it joyfully.

Do it for Jesus.

There is a wonderful world of working when we realize that the hands God gave us can become instruments of His purpose.

Work while it is day.

Serve while you can.

Give your best.

And when the evening comes, may you be able to look back and say, “I did what I could for the Lord.”

That is a day well spent.

BDD