What You Do at Work for God and Your Fellow Man
What do you do for God and for your fellow man at work? Not sure? Think about it. If you're not sure, here are some examples from Scripture that might help. Each example attempts to briefly describe a type of work. At the end, we'll see how each worker, in his own way, works for God and his fellow man. In Chapter 38 of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) we find the farmer ploughing his field:
"With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls? He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder."
Notice how this worker fully engages his mind and body with his work. Shouldn't we also do so, whatever our field (no pun intended)? Do we?
Next we encounter the craftsman:
"So every craftsman, and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work."
A good portion of my own work compares with that of the craftsman. Putting together plans and strategies for people who want to put their finances in order and prudently advance the welfare and well-being of their families isn't a cookie cutter affair. Like the objects produced by the craftsman, plans may vary. Do I - and you - apply continual diligence?
What about the blacksmith:
"So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace. The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.
He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them, to perfection."
Work doesn't always flow smoothly. Some days we can feel like the blacksmith fighting the heat of the furnace with the noise of the hammer in your ears. Despite it all, we keep our minds on our work and strive to polish it to perfection.
"So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always careful set to his work, and maketh all his work by number: He fashioneth the clay with his arm and boweth down his strength before his feet: He shall give his mind to finish the blazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace. All these trust to their hands. and every one is wise in his own art."
Whether we work primarily with our brains, or with our hands, all of us seek to apply our brains and brawn for for the greater glory of God, the welfare of our families, the benefit of our clients and customers.
And no matter what sort of work we do, today's passages from Scripture illustrate the critical importance of our work for the common good. We see how our work, done faithfully and with diligence every day, can become a continual prayer.
"Without these a city is not built. And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly. Upon the judges' seat they shall not sit, and ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken: But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High."
"With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls? He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder."
Notice how this worker fully engages his mind and body with his work. Shouldn't we also do so, whatever our field (no pun intended)? Do we?
Next we encounter the craftsman:
"So every craftsman, and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work."
A good portion of my own work compares with that of the craftsman. Putting together plans and strategies for people who want to put their finances in order and prudently advance the welfare and well-being of their families isn't a cookie cutter affair. Like the objects produced by the craftsman, plans may vary. Do I - and you - apply continual diligence?
What about the blacksmith:
"So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace. The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.
He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them, to perfection."
Work doesn't always flow smoothly. Some days we can feel like the blacksmith fighting the heat of the furnace with the noise of the hammer in your ears. Despite it all, we keep our minds on our work and strive to polish it to perfection.
"So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always careful set to his work, and maketh all his work by number: He fashioneth the clay with his arm and boweth down his strength before his feet: He shall give his mind to finish the blazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace. All these trust to their hands. and every one is wise in his own art."
Whether we work primarily with our brains, or with our hands, all of us seek to apply our brains and brawn for for the greater glory of God, the welfare of our families, the benefit of our clients and customers.
And no matter what sort of work we do, today's passages from Scripture illustrate the critical importance of our work for the common good. We see how our work, done faithfully and with diligence every day, can become a continual prayer.
"Without these a city is not built. And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly. Upon the judges' seat they shall not sit, and ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken: But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High."
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