There’s a humorous bumper sticker that I’ve seen on cars at times. It’s a reference to the words of an old Disney film that reads “I owe I owe, and so it’s off for work.”
It is clear that the driver driving the vehicle has to work to earn money whether or not they feel at all like working. In the moment there is a low rate of unemployment in Alabama (2.1 percent) and there is a lot of jobs. There have been instances that people have been without a job for long periods of time, when they were seeking an opportunity to get to work.
What is the significance of work as a aspect to our life? We have to earn money to support our families. However, it’s much more than the means of earning a living. We spend the majority of our time on working.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 47% of our daytime hours are devoted to work as compared to 4% of our time spent on personal needs, 5% on shopping and eating out or eating, 11% watching television as well as 5% social events and 8% of leisure time and 12% time with family and 1 percent of us attend church or volunteer.
Work was among God’s very first commands to the human race. At early times “The God of the universe God brought the man (Adam) and placed Adam within the Garden of Eden to till it and maintain his promise” (Genesis 2:15).
Chuck Colson has written, “In the beginning chapters of Genesis we discover that human beings were created to reflect the image of God in order to reflect His character. consequently, we are required to be a reflection of His creativity by our own creative thinking in developing the earth, pointing out its potential and giving it form and form. Every work is worthy as it is a reflection of God’s image.”
I was once involved in a study about what the Bible speaks about work. I discovered that 75 percent of the Bible’s most famous characters were employed in the workplace. Consider the story of Jesus. He lived the majority of his life working in a small company as carpenter. A majority of the parables Jesus spoke of have a work setting. A portion of the Ten Commandments instructs us to work.
There’s a cliche about working “God provides every bird with food, but doesn’t put it in its nest.” Henry Ford commented that work “keeps me alive and gives me a reason to keep living.”
The Apostle Paul said it this way “Whatever you are doing, try to do so with integrity in the name of God and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). It’s been said that it’s the amount of time you devote to your job that count, it’s the effort you put in your time.
Work “can and should be regarded as an act of praise just as worship on Sunday. A good job done right is a praise for God as well as a gift for the entire world,” according to a participant in the online course.
One of my friends once said “It’s not through doing the things we enjoy however, but through liking the things we enjoy that we will discover our advantages.” If you’re employed, feel grateful for the opportunity to work. If you are looking for work there are plenty of opportunities available.
Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book “Everyday The Faithful Daily Life.”
The article Work: One of God’s earliest instructions to humanity was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
