Work as Christian Duty
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
On mother’s day we often read Proverbs 31—a woman of noble character, who can find?
It lists all the things she does and all the reasons people appreciate her.
She works eagerly
She shops carefully
She gets up early to feed everyone
She runs a small business on the side
She cares for the poor
She makes her own bed covers
she teaches wisdom
Proverbs 31:31 “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
That sounds a bit idealistic—this woman does everything and is constantly appreciated.
How many women in the congregation can relate?
If we want to describe the experience of a mother, Proverbs 32 might be a better passage:
Proverbs 31 (538)
Proverbs 31 (538)
Proverbs 32 (539)
Proverbs 32 (539)
(v. 2-11)
Constant, endless toil
Never making progress
Never being appreciated
No promises or guarantees.
This is not just the experience of moms or women.
We all experience endless toil.
Another week, another sermon.
Work hard, accomplish nothing.
Watch other people succeed who don’t deserve it.
We are investing ourselves more and more into our work, but we are less and less satisfied.
How can we find meaning in our endless toil?
Accept the LIMITATIONS of your work.
Accept the GIFT God has given you.
Do your work to WORSHIP God.
Trust God to PROVIDE the rest.
Accept the LIMITATIONS of your work.
Accept the LIMITATIONS of your work.
We are on a quest to find meaningful work.
We change jobs more often
We are less satisfied
It’s not working. Why? Because our work is hevel.
Ecclesiastes tells us that work won’t satisfy.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Mist, breath—cant catch it, hold onto it, make it last.
We can’t actually control things—working hard doesn’t necessarily make you prosperous, or get you respect or advancement.
The pleasure we get doesn’t last, or really make up for it.
We have turned to more meaningful work—but it doesn’t really change things.
Seems dark.
What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
Feels pretty pessimistic, but actually this is Ecclesiastes’ major insight, and it’s not pessimistic at all. He realizes that this is God’s intention, and when we accept it, we can find true satisfaction.
THERE IS A TIME
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
God has made the world this way, and he has given us the ability to see the nature of the world. Why?
If God didn’t make us capable of fixing the world, then he must not expect that of us.
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
