Unlike the animal kingdom, people fill their days with a huge variety of activities and this sermon looks at that part of our lives: our “work”.
Now in our daily tasks – whether paid or unpaid – we like many things including the following two. Firstly, we like to have variety. We find it frustrating and depressing to be trapped in doing the same task hour after hour, day after day. Secondly, we like to have recognition and reward. We want others to praise us for our work and for it to be rewarded either with an appropriate wage or in some other way. Both of these things shows how important work is to us. Indeed we often define ourselves and others in terms of work, asking somebody we've met for the first time: “what do you do?”
Work, then, is important to us and so unsurprisingly the Bible has much to say about it. However, we only have time here to look at a little of what it says. Firstly, in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Bible, we get an honest look at our working lives. The writer of that book was a high flying and wealthy man who pushed his life to its limits, including in the area of work. But he said two things about his work. (1) That death seemed to make it pointless because after he was gone the person who inherits the fruits of his work may completely squander them (Ecc 2:18-19). (2) That work is often cruel, causing pain and grief in life through stress, exhaustion, difficulties and other ways besides (Ecc 2:22-23).
So in summary, the writer says that he has discovered that work feels like something good which has been spoiled. And indeed that is the teaching of the Bible. It says elsewhere (Genesis 1-3) that God originally made us to do good work in this world: discovering and using all the resources that God has built into it. But we turned out backs upon God, thus bringing down his curse which has made work hard for us. You can see this when trying to grow food: it's so much easier to grow worthless weeds, then useful vegetables.
What's the solution then? We begin by gaining a new perspective on our lives. God has said in the Bible that one day “he will judge the world” (Acts 17:31). On that day we'll be interviewed about our working lives. God will ask us why we ignored him and did our own thing. And since we'll have no answer to give, we will find ourselves condemned. But there is hope, because today we can be forgiven for our wicked attitude to God, and so be made ready for that final interview with him. This forgiveness comes through trust in Jesus Christ. And if we follow Jesus, then we can have a new attitude to our work, because God will see our work as done for him and reward us on judgement day (Ephesians 6:7)
Take a little time to review your own working life. Write down in what ways it is important to you; in what ways it impacts upon your personal life. Try to see, honestly, the place and importance of work to you. Now picture yourself appearing before your creator. What will you say about your working life? What do you think God will ask you about the way you have treated him?