Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Colossians 3:23 NLT)
“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” (2 Chronicles 31:21 NKJV)
“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3 ESV)
Good morning! Today I am going to start by throwing a cuss word at you. It’s a 4-letter word that I have tried to avoid far too many times in my life. But here it goes. Brace yourself…
…WORK!
Yup, you heard it right…
…WORK!
Well, actually that’s not a cuss word. The actual cuss word is a 5-letter word, and that’s…
…TOIL.
God created Adam and Eve and gave them creative and positive work to do. They were to tend the garden during a time in which there were no weeds. Adam was given the responsibility to name the animals expressing his creativity as one created in the image and likeness of God. Work was a blessing. But the enemy got a hold of them and turned it into toil.
Toil is defined as “work extremely hard or incessantly. Exhausting physical labor. To move slowly and with difficulty.” The word comes from Anglo-Norman French “toiler” which means to strive, dispute, and confusion.
While work is positive and productive, toil is highly non-productive. Most of us do far too much toiling in life. I tell you what, if I want to lose weight then I’ve got to embrace the work. If I want to get somewhere in my career, I’ve got to buckle down and get to work. If I want to make a difference in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, it takes work. And work, my friend, is a good thing.
I finally realized that work is a God-given positive thing. It brings satisfaction and adds value to my life. So I am working, and I hope you are too.
Let’s work at applying…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 393: Work Is A 4-Letter Word!