Thursday, 2 September 2010

It Is A Gift - Delight In It



And also that every man should eat and
drink and enjoy the good of all his labour
--it is the gift of God



Weekends, especially long ones, such as the one we just had in the United Kingdom are very enjoyable. Spending time with family and friends is an important ingredient of a balanced life.

However, we must not live for the weekends only, and hinder God’s desire to bless us in the work that we do, that which occupies most of our days and adult life.

Work is a gift from God; it is given to us for our enjoyment and blessing. That is what the Preacher tells in Ecclesiastes 3:13 above.

I know some might think it is difficult to enjoy the work that they do. They would say “You don’t know my boss, he / she is a direct descendant of satan himself, so how can I enjoy myself whilst working under him / her?”   Yes, I will not deny it, some people are quite difficult to work for  and with. They do their best to snuff  the life out of anything, including the workers!  Also, I understand that some jobs might not be what we want them to be, or what we dreamt ourselves doing, for example, working under some dark kitchen sink or cleaning up muck!

However, spare a thought for those standing in an unemployment queue. Have you ever known anyone who feels genuinely happy or deliriously elated at the fact that they have been reduced to begging for money to survive, to feed their family and pay the rent? 

Thus, for those who find themselves in a job, today, I encourage you to remember to thank God for it. Be it in a factory line, under a sink, or outside in the pouring rain, whilst to, at and from work, remember to thank God for the job that you have.  It might not be your ideal job, but God takes us from glory to glory.  You might be passing through this job to the better one God has in store for you.

In thanking God, be wise to know that you are blessed.  Therefore whatever you find yourself doing, do it to the glory of God as we are encouraged in Colossians 3:23 which reads "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men.."
Regardless of the work we are doing let our attitudes be that of thanksgiving and praise. Such an attitude towards work and at work is infectious, it will influence others. It can bring about a transformation in your work place, in the environment and the people, including the mean boss.


So today, I encourage you that regardless of the work you are doing, see your work as God’s gift. Some will gladly trade places with you. See your work as an opportunity, enjoy the privilege of working and see it as part of living for Him.

In so doing, you will be further encouraged and will have tremendous anticipation for every day and not just some days – like the weekends or bank holidays.

I encourage you to be diligent in whatever you do; making God famous along your way.


I leave you with a message from the 'preacher' in Ecclesiastes 5:18-9

 "After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's
what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself,
have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you
have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it.
That's the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what
God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it,
accepting what's given and delighting in the work.
It's God's gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now.
It's useless to brood over how long we might live."



BSL TRANSLATION
PRESS PLAY



Much Love, Remi
***pictures by google***

1 Comment:

David C Brown said...

Back to work again -
A needful blessing, if not
A popular one.

That's among the blessings I have counted!