|
Work Motives
While reading this chapter, you will have the opportunity to analyze your own motives for working. To help you, we will look at different possibilities that cause people to work. Perhaps some of these motives apply to you. You will find direct or even blunt comments about the subjects. Try to remember that the contents of this chapter is to help you recognize and determine why you work.
As you read, see if your present work-life aligns with any of these patterns. Answer to yourself if they describe why you go to work each day. Decide if the why is correct before God. If you see that you are working for the wrong reason, you have a need.
When we know we are needful, our minds willingly receive encouragement. When this happens, we seek specific knowledge to resolve our need. Knowledge flows into an open mind, yet ricochets from a closed one. As you read these pages, may Jesus Christ meet your needs.
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 1:24-25
I open with a sensitive subject that needs addressing. Ever since you were old enough to notice, you have seen the variations in human profiles. Some are tall, while others are short. Some are petite, while others are bulky; the list goes on. Most of us are combinations or mixtures of these variations. A valid description of average or normal classes of the proper size or shape of any human being does not exist. People are alike in form, but each one of us is different from all the rest. You have a body like other humans, but your body is unique.
No one is exactly like you. You are not exactly like any one else. As for thoughts, you have a mind that thinks like other humans. No one, however, thinks exactly like you. Looking at behavior, your personality is similar to other humans. Your personality, however, is unique. We are alike, yet we are all different.
You want me to prove it? Put your hands together, palm against palm with fingers extended. With your palms touching, look at your hands. Your hands are exactly the same. Each is a mirror image of the other. Now, face the palms of your hands away from you with thumb tips touching. Your hands are exactly opposite. How about that? Your hands are alike, yet opposite.
We all are unique in body, mind and spirit. Basically, we are all the same. Even though we are all similar, we can still learn from a person's appearance. Generally, our appearance may show why we work.
Food is one of the obvious reasons we work. Food is a strong influence in our daily lives. To ward off hunger, food motivates us to work. For a natural reason, we enjoy eating instead of starving. A full stomach appeases hunger. Some people have an excessive hunger. Without food, they become frightened even to the point of illness. In these cases, the only immediate cure is food. Depressing thoughts flash through their minds as they think of an empty stomach. These people suffer more than others with somatic systems. They may even try to conceal their eating desires. I have heard people make jokes about hunger: "I did what I was told because I like to eat." Maybe, you have heard or even said it.
Working to fulfill the basic needs of others and ourselves is correct before God. The problem arises when our wants become the purpose for our working. The original goal of worthwhile labor becomes an idol before God. Woe comes unto the one working to serve an idol.
"For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalms 96:4-6
To explain this further, we exchange labor, time, and knowledge in our economy for the much sought-after dollar. When found, that dollar is the media used to pay someone else for their contribution to us. We exchange our labor or work for food through the media of currency. Almost everyone has an understanding of this principle: we must work or risk hunger and loss. This basic concept of work to eat is a good one. Though practiced, this principle needs exercising even more than it is.
"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies." II Thessalonians 3:10-11
Man expects Christians to work diligently. Christians should work diligently, and for more than just food. Christians should work to fulfill their calling. Besides, our minds and hands are busy when we work. Do you remember what Jesus said about eating, drinking, and the body? What did Christ say about the sparrows and flowers (Matthew 10:29-31)?
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Matthew 6:25
Over the centuries, man still continues to eat forbidden substances instead of living God's prescribed way. In the end, God's truth prevails. Friend, the Lord told us how to live our lives long before science existed. To do so, He gave two witnesses to every person: the things He created and the conscience within each of us.
The Lord gave man specific direction concerning what he should eat both physically and spiritually. We need to learn and exercise moderation and prudence in our lives. We learn these virtues by pondering on what the Lord said. Contemptuous man, being slow to believe, is learning that the Lord was right from the beginning. The Lord said the fat was His. Therefore, the fat belongs to Him.
Try to understand the words fat and lean as they apply to physical and spiritual definitions. When we get things in their proper order in the workplace, we prosper. The doing of this begins in our hearts. A defined order for the flesh and the soul do exist. The fat always belongs to God, the Spirit. The lean always belongs to man, the flesh. Keep these in their proper order. The flesh should be leaner. The spirit should be fatter. Man implies the opposite and dies the Endless Death.
Careful now, grasp the correct prospectus of this concept and control yourself. If you work for the single goal of filling your stomach, you need to take another look at your motive.
"Speak to the children Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people." Leviticus 7:23-25
Remember the simple adjectives that describe the Lord's spirit: humble, meek, and of low spirit? Do you know that He loves those of the same Spirit? Do you know how to be of the same Spirit as the Lord? Do you remember what He promised both to the weak and the strong?
"I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgement." Ezekiel 34:16
When a mind or hands are idle, trouble creeps into that mind and evil works through those hands. Surely, you have heard this before, "An idle mind is a devil's playhouse." A house adorned with foolishness, rumors, tales and exaggerations is a devil's house. When ignored or neglected, these unwanted cancers multiply. Any of these fetishes directly interfere with our being a good and profitable worker in the workplace.
"Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul suffer hunger." Proverbs 19:15
"By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through." Ecclesiastes 10:18
"He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." Proverbs 26:17
Years ago, I stood on the grounds of a small country church. Construction of the building was around 1890. It was sitting in the midst of several oaks. I found myself staring at one of these giant oaks, standing a short distance from the church. The huge tree was well over a hundred years old. This particular oak, fully leaved, shaded one side of the church's grounds. Traditionally, looking at the tree would have been a pleasant sight. It was the handiwork of God. Yet, the scene was deceptive.
Looking closer, I saw that the oak's lower branches were dying or dead. There was a creeping ivy growing up the trunk and over the tree's branches. The unattended vine was shading the tree and destroying it. The ivy blocked the sun-light from the tree's leaves. Wherever there was ivy on the tree; the leaves, the stems, and the branches were dying. Rotting wood was the only substance left in those infested areas. In all its splendor, the old oak was slowly rotting because of an inferior vine. The tree needed a gardener. Who would care for the its need? Do you have a gardener? Who tends to your house?
Allowing creeping things to enter and hang in our houses cause us a slow death. The sign of this slow spiritual death shows in our work behavior. It shows toward our co-workers and our companies. If you allow your mind to become a devil's playhouse, the performance of your hand becomes slothful. At that point, people will see you as a worthless employee. You will spend your time doing wrong because inward rotting is underway. Your spirit becomes lean, while your flesh becomes fat.
"The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." Proverbs 13:4
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man." Proverbs 6:6-11
Wait a minute. Is your mind wandering? In your thoughts, are you judging others? Why would you point your finger at your fellow co-workers? The previous scriptures spoke to all. They included the person sitting behind a desk, the one punching a time card, the one typing, and the one caring for a home.
Scriptures are for everyone. They tell us how to conduct or live our lives. In one way or another, everyone works for someone. No one is solely accountable to himself. The same rules that apply to you also apply to me and everyone else. All are the same before God. None of us are big or small in God's eyes. Man is the respecter of persons, not the Lord. Jesus Christ is the only Holy One before God. Unless in Christ, we are dust before Him. Blessed is the person with the understanding of man is dust and the Lord is God. Understanding this puts men in the place of servants.
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalms 103:13-14
Are you working for the sole purpose of paying bills? Does your life revolve around debt? If you were debt free, would you still work? Do you work only to get a check so that you can turn around and give it to your creditors? If so, your work-life is a perpetual treadmill of drudgery, monotony, and boredom. Do you have anything left after you pay bills? Think about it for a moment. Are you motivated to keep your creditors away from your door and off your phone? Do you know how to get ahead of just paying bills?
Work is good, and it is good to work. Work is the action God gave to Adam and to Adam's seed. Have you noticed that I am talking about two different kinds of work? Working for the right incentives strengthens and teaches. Working for deliverance or to escape only brings condemnation to the worker.
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:19
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Hebrews 10:38
Have you ever just stopped for a while and thought about why you work? Do you understand at the beginning of each day why you go to work? If you had no work, how would you spend your day? Do you have freedom in your work? Do you understand freedom in work? Are you caught in the Bills-Trap? If you wanted to, could you escape? Do you want to know how to get out of the snare?
If you escaped and did nothing different, after a short time, you would be right back where you are now. The change must start on the inside to cause permanent deliverance and give freedom in work. Trying to solve the problem yourself will only cause your outward appearance to change. The Gardener will pull away the creeping vines. The Lord will restore the rotting wood. Changing your own appearance causes you to feel better, but only for a while. If your deliverance does not come from Christ, eventually, you will fail.
This subject was not meant to dishearten you. Hope of changing your inward circumstances still lives. The change, however, begins with Christ. Read and meditate on these next scriptures.
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." II Peter 2:20-22
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of the man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." Matthew 12:43-45
Are you still reading? That means you have shown mercy to me by sparing this book a one-way trip to a recycle bin. Even so, let us continue where we left off.
I placed the previous scriptures at this point to let you know that you can get out of the Bill-Trap. Although, you will need help. Personally, you are unable to make a lasting change in your life. I want you to understand the facts as God stated them. Christ alone is able to change your life permanently. Only Jesus can do it.
A young child, trained in table manners, will display them if the instructions continue. You can have the knowledge of doing right, but if that knowledge eludes your heart, how can you walk upright before God? It takes awareness, thought, and doing to learn a principle in your heart. Spiritual understanding demands work. Action shows faith.
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our LORD. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Romans 7:14-25
Getting out of the Bill-Trap is only part of the answer. Freedom comes through knowing the whole answer and then acting on it. The answer is what God taught you, while you were still in the trap. What you learn in the trap carries over on the inside of you after our Lord delivers you.
A trap caught David when he was still a youth. He stayed in the trap until he learned what the Lord had to teach him. As us, David had to learn the hard way. Only Christ learned His Father's ways the first time. Even though David was King of both Judah and Israel, he had to learn to work the right way and for the right reasons.
"And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people." II Samuel 24:1-2
"And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly." II Samuel 24:10
"Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite." I Kings 15:4-5
Do you work because of fear or worry? This kind of fear has to do with the lose of your car, your house, or whatever you think is yours. Are you fearful or worried about your possible financial ruin? Are your eyes focused on a false security, on material wealth, or on God? Are you striving to be a good Christian to enhance the Lord's image? In your arrogance, do you think your financial disgrace will diminish the Holiness of God or tarnish His Son?
What is that? You are humble and considerate. Most people think of themselves in this way. However, man is vain. They even try to hide their vanity.
Do you begin each day by giving thanks to the Lord because you can work? Will you listen to the Lord's words? In the next scripture, read what the Lord said about those who refused to listen. Perhaps you will feel their anguish as you read.
"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." Proverbs 1:23-33
Are you finding yourself working endless hours and never realizing that you suffer from the fear of loss? The more hours you work, the heavier your load. Breathless, you cry out from your frail heart: Woe is me! Finally, out of desperation, you come up with ways to flee from your fears. You try to cover or obscure reality with vices for relief and to get, what the world calls, relaxing time. At night, you dream of better times to come. During the day, you fantasize at work.
Is this one of your day dreams? If only I could win the lottery, I could make my life perfect, no more work and no more cares. With enough money, I could do what I have always wanted. Who planted this deceptive desire in your thoughts? From where comes the thought?
Such thoughts are lies from Hell. With your millions, you would go straight to the mire as does the washed swine. Birds fly with birds; pigs wallow with pigs; dogs run with dogs. Man wants it all, and he wants it now. Look at what God said about this. He knows what is best for us in all circumstances. He knows how to overcome our fear of loss. He also knows how to free us from our traps. Read these two scriptures and believe that He has the correct answer for your fear.
"Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:33
"And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed." Joel 2:24-26
What about Slaves of Vanity? Their idolatry is maintaining a shiny self-image. Does this describe you? You work long hours with radiance and perfection, in your own judgment. You sparkle as glittering tinfoil in a wasted effort to catch the neglectful eye of your superior. Are you looking for the big-bucks and the good-life? You work too many hours. In doing so, you will wear yourself out at an early age.
Friend, why do you do it? You justify your haughty life by convincing yourself that it is for your family, your precious loved ones. Is your family also deceived as you are? Have you impressed yourself with the image or idol you have created? You slave in your splendid attire of polished shackles and chains. How long have you deceived yourself? Do you want out of your trap? Friend, for your sake, get off that ever-spinning treadmill.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." Jeremiah 17:9-11
Do you know how much the Lord cared for Lot? Lot was a rebellious child. His name was Lot. That alone said something about him. He sought his own pleasure and the good-life. Lot rejected the ways of God, but the Lord did not reject him. The Lord was merciful toward Lot and his family.
Lot was the ruler of Sodom. He was taking care of business in his own way. Too late, he found himself trapped by the financial system. Lot lost sight of God ways, and his perverted attention was on the ways of unrighteousness. In their deliverance, Lot and his family fled Sodom only when two archangels dragged them out and sent them on their way towards the mountains. In route, Lot lost his wife and all his material possessions.
Do you think your life is any better than Lot's? Do you think Christ will not also rescue you from your idolatry? As a Child of God, do you think the Lord loves you any less than He loves Lot? God's gives, of Himself, unsparing love to all.
"And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleaven bread, and they did eat." Genesis 19:1-3
"And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." Genesis 19:15-16
You know what happened after they were clear of the cities. The Lord destroyed the four cities and all their remaining inhabitants. Today, the remains of those cities and the bones of their citizens lie in doom under the Dead Sea, covered by salt.
Lot lost his big house, his fine furniture, his sleek chariots, and all else he owned because he was trying to please man. Lot's wife became a pillar of salt. She did not heed the Lord's warning. Do you see poetic justice in this miracle? Lot's wife became the very substance she had worshiped.
The area of Sodom and Gomorrah had a flourishing economy. The economy prospered through the local salt mines. The Lord fulfilled His word to Abraham. Lot's wife did not burn in flames. She died because she rejected God's word just as the ungodly had done.
"And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Genesis 18:20-22
This entire account is in the scriptures to give us an example. Worshiping the lifestyle of those cities brought destruction to their inhabitants. Their inward vanity lead to idolatry. Destruction came as reward for their idolatry. Their love for the creature was greater than their love for the Creator. Their fear of earthly loss was greater than their reverence of God. Their defiance of God brought His sure judgment with a fatal price. The Lord is just in His work. He keeps His commandments through Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
"For whether we live, we live unto the LORD; and whether we die, we die unto the LORD: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the LORD's." Romans 14:8
What about the women taking care of their homes and raising children? Why do they work? The work they do is probably the most difficult of all labors. Why do they do it? They could be in a dirty factory or, perhaps, in a plush office dealing with intelligent adults and significant problems. Is that a laugh? Listen, you do not have to be in a work environment to be a slave.
What motivates you to do the same things everyday, over and over? Why are you caught in the rut? Is it worry that your children will go without or that no one else will help them? Do committed housewives think the lives and happiness of their families ultimately depend on them?
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7
Maybe, they work because of affliction. Would their husband or friend beat them again if the house was dirty, cluttered, or fell short of his liking? A person may be mentally beaten and abused with no obvious scars. Mental beatings can be more severe than any physical beating. I wanted to point that out, because you may not already know it. Shielded people have never experienced such repulsive episodes.
"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Psalms 103:8-12
I have seen women tolerate many dreadful events over long periods. What caused them to endure such boredom, worry, pain, loneliness, and sorrow amazes me. Most of these women would say they just could not do any better. They seem to wait for a great miracle to happen. One where angels appear and wave their arms while singing. Is this your trap? The trap is dreaming about tomorrow, while you drudgingly drag through today. Will you ever be ready to get relief from the burdens of your life? When will you cry out to the Lord as the children of Israel did? Do you know that He will deliver you the same as He did them? Ladies, do you want to be free from your burdens? The Lord is faithful to His children.
"And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;" Exodus 3:7
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Let me take a moment and talk to the next generation; they are going to participate in this world's future. Young person, are you still in school, or maybe, you are out of school? Are you working at a part-time job? Have you started a full-time job? Have you thought about how you are going to leave your mark on this world? Will you get your piece of the action? Have you prepared your plans of attack?
If you have, you should know this. Such well laid plans will only culminate in your misery. Ten years from now, think back to see if the world cared what happened to you. You have nothing, and you strive to get even more of it. What are the important things in your life: a car, a stereo, expendable cash, your next date? What are you after? What are your goals? Why do you work, or why will you work? The consequences of decisions, made early in life, will linger with you for years to come. May you make your decisions based on God's Word.
Pay attention now, do you think you can change God's Word? He made the rules. He keeps the score. Why do you think He said the following?
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
Friend, "when he is old" is the time when a child is of full age in the Lord. It is the time when a child knows the ways of the Lord. Too many parents make the mistake of misunderstanding this. All the time, they say they raised their children right, yet they sit and weep, while their adored ones go wallowing in the pig pen. Too many children say, "Someday, I will do better, but for now, I want to live my own life." I have seen fifty year old children wallowing in the mire. They failed to realize their folly before God and the sure judgment of His law. Young people, you need to determine why you work; then, work the right way, God's way.
Young person, the Lord has been helping you all your life and doing for you what was best in His mind. You should never let this thought slip from your mind: God is Father. You can run away from your parents. You will never get away from the Lord. He will allow you freedom, but He will never throw you away. Make no mistake about it. He will correct you. He must chasten you to conform you to the image of His Son. Our God and Christ are one; therefore, it can be said even to His own image. Do you remember the story of the prodigal son and what it took to bring him to his senses?
"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. but when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to make merry." Luke 15:14-24
Perhaps you are enthusiastic about the idea of retiring. Not working for The Man is a pleasurable thought, especially, after spending forty-plus years doing so. Retirement is the life-goal of most people in America. Misers put back every cent they can with the thought that it will see them through hard times in later years. It is good that a person prepares for later years and the coming calamities. Even though, they are unaware of what tomorrow brings.
"He becometh poor that dealeth with slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in the summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame." Proverbs 10:4-5
Working today for tomorrow's retirement is a worthy task. By the way, what is retirement to you? Is it quitting? Is it withdrawing? Is it withering? Is it stopping? Is it doing nothing? Retiring from hard labor should be an earned reward, not an anxiety. Working toward retirement should be the result of your actions, not the goal of your life.
Your eye or goal should be on serving both God and man. Such a path is an endless quest through eternity. You never retire from it. You never retire from serving the will of God.
You can, however, get caught in the trap of accumulating wealth for security's sake. This happens when you call idolatry by another name such as retirement. Idolatry is still idolatry, no matter what you call it.
I have heard people talk about what they were going to do when they retire. Most people make big plans, but never do them. From childhood, we are all creatures of habit. People follow the same path as their training. They feed the habits that satisfy their wants and starve those which do not.
If their focus was on working a job, day and night, they have nothing else to do when they retire. They knew and had pleasure in only one thing during their life. When that dies or disappears, their primary reason for living ends that day. Growing new habits is difficult after we have spent so much time and effort feeding the old ones.
Years ago, I met a man; he and his wife traveled almost every weekend. When he retired, they kept doing just as they had been doing. I knew another man, and all he ever did was work. He never found pleasure in anything outside of his work. Ever so slowly, the day came for him to retire.
As he refused to think about death, so he refused to think about retiring. When the day came, his active life came to an end. He became secluded and withdrawn.
People do what they have trained themselves to do. Whether it is a child or a senior citizen, the same principle applies. If your only goal is retirement, what happens when you reach it?
"For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came." Job 3:24-26
You read this chapter. Now, be honest with yourself and with the Lord. Record the reasons why you work today. Take time to ponder them before you write in these spaces.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
The LORD Is GOD Even At Work
|
