DAY FIFTY-FOUR - BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE PEOPLE
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:3
Reading: Matthew 11:28 – 30; Exodus 20:8 – 10; Romans 14:23; Hebrews 1:11
Yesterday we looked at the incredible blessing that work is, and the attitude of thankfulness with which we are to approach work. Today I want to look at what we work for.
In the our current society, from the moment we’re born, everything around us is preparing us to conquer the world financially. We want more, we have an insatiable desire for better - better homes, better clothes, better schools, better cars, better electronic devices, better careers, better everything. But better equals more expensive. So we spend every day thinking that the reason we’re working is to set the next generation up. For all the things that are unattainable in the current set of working years, the next generation can have, and then one day – we can retire comfortably from all these years of pain and toil.
Now that you know work is good I’m going to let you in on a secret. In the Kingdom of God there is no real retirement! You see we weren’t designed to work for our provision but rather for pleasure and as worship to God. Our provision is accessed through faith in God. Therefore we work in faith, knowing that it is God who provides while we work as an act of worship to Him.
God rested. There is an inherent link between rest and faith. When you work in faith, then rest comes easy to the believer. And why can we rest? In Jesus all our needs are met. Whether the need be financial or anything else – it has been provided for. Jesus himself is our rest. Because the work of provision is already done – we need only to have true biblical faith in order to receive the things that we need. Working never has been, and never will be, about the rat race. It isn’t about striving for a better retirement – it is about exercising dominion, multiplying the image of God, and worshipping God in our activities in everything we do and say. It is a place to be a witness for the Kingdom of God, and when you work in faith, knowing that God has mandated you to work and being thankful for the job you have – the by product of that faith is that your work will be blessed.
Prayer
Thank You for meeting all my needs Lord. Thank You for showing me how to work, and for giving me rest. Thank You that by faith, not striving, I have all that I need. Thank You for Your blessings, and for allowing me to be a blessing in my work.
For the Family
Explain the concept of currency to your children – use the link if necessary
Now explain that faith is the currency of heaven – what we use to transact with - and that working for money is not God’s way. Teach them that we work in faith, from a place of rest, as an act of worship to God.
