As I headed to work this morning, I thought about this lesson.  I really had never given it that much thought, but you know something, from the beginning of mankind God wanted man to work.  There is honor in work.  Work gives man a purpose in life.

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”
Genesis 2:15

“Establish Thou the work of our hands upon us;  yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.”
Psalms 90:17

I’m sure all of you have seen people that had not a mind to work, and in fact looked for ways out of work.  I knew of one man that wanted to do other things, and would have one clock out for him while he he did that which he wanted.  He was eventually caught and fired for his deception.  Unsure what happened to the people that were complicit in his lying, but it is wrong for one to take money and not deliver what they vowed.  There was lying, deception, getting others to go along with the deception.  So many sins from an act of trying to get out of work, and the consequences of those sins.  …and to this day, as far as I have knowledge, this record follows him.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;  for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest.”    Ecclesiastes 9:10

The apostle Paul worked.

“After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla;  (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and come unto them  And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought:  for by their occupaton they were tentmakers.”
Acts 18:1-3

…and we now have a government that is out of control, and paying people that are able bodied to work and will not.  Instead of our government following God’s law regarding work, they circumvent His law to subsidize laziness.  …and not only is that a sin, but it places a strain on their fellowman to pay more in taxes to subsidize such.  He that will not work is also disobedient to Him in not loving their fellowman, and that too is sin.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:  this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”      II Thessalonians 3:10

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”      I Timothy 4:8

Work is honorable, and gives not only those things which we need in this life, but let us also support the work of the Lord, and lay by as we have been prospered.

“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him  that there be no gatherings when I come.”     I Corinthians 16:2

When Jerusalem was rebuilding the walls, the builders prayed and worked.

“The people had a mind to work.”   Nehemiah 4:6

Prayer and work are both needed.  Man’s labor, God’s assistance, and that is sufficient.

When asking ourselves if work is worthy of asking God’s blessing, ask yourself.  Is it honorable to work?  Will it help others?  Does it help the cause of our Lord?  Does work help our families?

If you answer “yes”, then work hard and pray diligently.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what  you do.  If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle.  As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”        Steve Jobs

Eileen Light