Work. Why? (1)

The book of Ecclesiastes can be a shock to the system. One of the messages of the book seems to be: 'Work is pointless. It drains us for fifty years of our lives, and then we die.' Not a great view of a job.

But the way Ecclesiastes talks about work doesn't mean God clicks 'like' to that view. He wants us to do honest hard work. He's keen for us to get involved in his work of restoring our broken world, and the broken lives around us. He gave not-yet-sinned Adam work in looking after the creation. And when Jesus stepped into the world two thousand years ago, he had a job to do. 'I must work the works of him who sent me' (John 9:4 NKJV). God himself worked when he created the heavens and the earth.

So why does Ecclesiastes seem so negative about work? Well, if there was nothing more to life than work, no purpose from God behind what we're doing, then it is meaningless. What good is becoming CEO of the world's biggest company if no-one remembers us when we leave, and our work can be undone by one bump of the stock market? Unless our work has God in it, it's meaningless. But what if our work is for him? What if someone comes to know Jesus because of it - that's an eternal outcome worth working 100% for.



So what now? How can you use your gifts and talents to work for Jesus?





— SCRIPTURE —

'I must work the works of him who sent me.' John 9:4 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

1 Sam 11-13, Matt 22:23-33, Ps 59:1-8, Pro 16:20-22