Friday, November 15, 2002
Friday, November 15, 2002
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
Human beings have always had to work. Even Adam and Eve
had responsibilities in the Garden of Eden. For most of humanity
work has been essential for survival. There was no choice. There
is a parable about a king who ordered his wise men to condense
all human wisdom into one memorable phrase. They returned after
twelve years of work with twelve volumes. "It is too large,"
protested the king, "condense it further!" So the wise men
returned in a year and presented one large volume in place of the
twelve. "It's still too large," protested the king. They went
out again, only to return the following day with a single
statement written on a slip of paper--all the world's wisdom in
one line: There is no free lunch.
We have to work, but God is always with us. And we are given the free gift of Jesus Christ, so
let's make our work honorable to God.
(Proverbs 16.3
NRSV)
Since work is such an important part of our lives,
perhaps we ought to spend a few moments today thinking
about the spiritual significance of work. I'm told that the
Reverend Sir George Macleod, founder of the Iona Community in
Scotland, undertook the cleaning out of the toilets during the
community work period. When someone asked Dr. Macleod why he
chose such an undesirable task, he retorted, "It's to prevent me
from preaching sermons on the dignity of work." Not everyone in
this room has satisfying, uplifting work. Somebody has to clean
toilets. No, my aim is not to glorify work, but to understand its
role in God's plan for our lives.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the work you have given me to do, so that I can take care of my family
and your church. Amen.
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