Ecclesiastes 2:20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. (NIV)
I started when I was fourteen. I knew because I received a paycheck. My grandfather began at twelve but his situation was entirely different.
Coming from a family that possessed a strong work ethic, it was normal I would begin work as soon as possible. I needed preparation for the real world. And so my grandfather-who knew the owner of the local Piggly Wiggly, secured me a job bagging groceries.
My grandfather began work at twelve but for different reasons. His father had died, and there was a farm, mother and siblings to care for. And while he could have retired at 62 he chose to work another ten years.
I haven’t enjoyed every job I’ve held or the pay I’ve received. I’ve had some pleasant employers and some who were difficult. Nor have the hours always been convenient.
But work is part of God’s plan. After creating the first couple and placing them in a garden, he instructed them to tend it (Genesis 1:28-30). And history’s norm has been: no work no pay. And no eat or pay bills either.
So in spite of the occasional negatives, I work, but I also periodically think like Solomon. What’s the point? Ultimate satisfaction is not found in my title. The fruits of my labor will be left to someone else who may squander them, and it seems unfair for others to receive free what I worked diligently to accumulate. Then too, hard work can lead to physical injuries, and it’s tiring.
To work without attitude requires working with the right attitude. Our employer is not the paycheck signer but God. Our attitude about our job and how we perform will only be excellent when we recognize God as our boss. The fruits of our labor will help us care for ourselves, our family and expand God’s Kingdom.
Learn to see God in the boss’s chair. We are ultimately helping to better an earth he created.
Prayer: God, when we’re tempted to have a bad attitude about work, bring contentment to our hearts and fill us with the proper motives. www.morningliteministry.com and www.lovelinesfromgod.com.