WORK : A God-Ordained Principle
WORK : A God-ordained Principle
“Make it your ambition to live a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life will win the respect of the outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. “
I Thessalonians 4 : 11 -12
The above passage in I Thessalonians is one of the key verses whick regards the nobility of work in the Bible.
Work is a God-ordained principle by which a man will earn his livelihood, not through gambling or joining games of chances, not through stealing nor begging, not through bribey nor usury nor any form of corruption.
There is nobility in working. As a famous quotation says, “There is always dignity in labor.” No matter how humble the work a man may has, he has always dignity in it because he is earning his living through his own perspiration. He is not dependent on anybody so he is not a burden to anybody. His work gives him dignity no matter how humble it is.
Hardwork is one of the God-ordained principles in gaining wealth. That is why the nation Japan is a wealthy nation even though it is not a Christian nation because it is filled with hardworking workforce.
Work has many benefits in one’s life. The following are just some of these things:
(1) When you are working, you have dignity, because you are earning your own money. You don’t have to ask from your parents or siblings for your personal needs. You have the means to buy things for yourself especially things you need the most. You are not dependent on anybody so you are not a burden to anybody. Therefore you have dignity.
(2) You can gain financial independence only by working. You can finance yourown home, car, vacation and travel , shopping.
(3) When you are working, you can be a blessing to your church through yourtithes and offering. You can support God’s missions through your work.Blessing God’s work opens the door for further blessings.
(4) When you are working, you can also be a blessing to some needypeople. Blessing the poor gives a great joy and satisfaction in your heart. .God will bless you more by blessing the poor.
(5) When you have work, you can pay your own health insurance and socialsecurity for your retirement. You prepare for your old age by working hardernow while you are strong and capable of working.
(6) When you are working you will win the respect of the outsiders of thefaith . You can show your good christian testimony by working harder.By being a disciplined and hardworking employee, you are able to showto the world an exemplary testimony of a follower of Christ. You may win to the Christian faith even your non-christian employers.
(7) When you work, your time is occupied. Since you are occupied, you willbe spared from being “busybodies.” Who are these busybodies ? These people are not working, so their time is idle and occupied with futile activities such as gossipseeking and slandering. When you are working, your time is consumed in a productive way, your time is not wasted in idle activities. When you are working you will be more disciplined in handling your time.
Work is a great discipline we must all humbly and seriously consider. We should be contented in whatever position we have, but we must be willing to handle with all our might whatever kind of work given to us. No matter how humble or lowly the work allotted to us, we must do it excellently.
