Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go. Work, work, work. If you want to get anywhere in life you have to work for it. You're not here enough. You sales aren't high enough. You're not making your production quota. We need you to work overtime and it's mandatory.
Work is a necessary part of life. The Apostle Paul said if you don't work, you don't get to eat. King Solomon talks about work as a necessary part of life that brings identity, purpose, meaning and satisfaction. However, for many, life is nothing more than getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home, watching TV and going to bed. Work, and often the daily commute, consumes our energies each day. When we do get home, we're beat, worn out, frustrated and unfulfilled. Another typical day at the ol' grindstone.
We like our car, our house, our boat, our bike, our stuff, so we work. We work to get our stuff and then in the end, we're too tired to enjoy our stuff. Then we work even harder to get more stuff, or bigger, better stuff that consumes even more of our time and energy that give us even less time to enjoy our stuff. Or, we have to pay someone else to take care of our stuff. Are we nuts?
Whether you love your job or hate your job, the bottom line is we all have to expend a great deal of effort on our job. After days, weeks, months, years of doing the same basic thing everyday, many become complacent with life, friends, family and, oh yes, work. We're so bored and tired that we don't enjoy life or the relationships around us. Some try to numb themselves each evening or on the weekends with booze or various recreational drugs. Others try to keep that edge through a caffeine buzz or even meth.
God says we all need renewal on a weekly basis. He says we need to put down the Blackberry, the laptop, the cell phone, the tools, the dust rag and mop and REST. Really rest. Work as hard as you want for six days, but one day you need to stop and smell the roses. We need to simply reflect, observe, relish, enjoy, celebrate life and the people in your life. We need a day each week to kick back and chill. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Having raised a household of young ladies, I've learned that you have to give the hot water heater time to recovery. If you keep draining the tank, the hot water heater keeps working, but just continues to produce cool or at best tepid water. But, if you give it a rest and time to catch up, you can enjoy a nice hot shower. If we keep pressing and pressing without rest, we can't give out what we're capable of producing. We're less effective when we don't give ourselves some time for renewal. Our attitude suffers, our relationships suffer, our productivity suffers, our creativity suffers when we don't stop for a sabbath, for a time of refreshing.
God, I'm guilty. I'm a workaholic. I don't know when to stop until you make me lie down in green pastures. But to be honest, I feel guilty not working. Allow me the solitude I need. Meet me in my times of rest. Give me the refreshment I need to have the best perspective possible and to really enjoy life as you intended.
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