Bless The Work of Our Hands

"In all toil there is profit,

    but mere talk leads only to poverty."

Proverbs 14:23

"Are you a Finn?" That was a strange question to be asked by a supervisor. But, that is exactly what I was asked when I worked on a production line in a sewing factory many years ago. I had laughed and asked him how he could know that as I was living in North Carolina where there were very few people of Finnish descent. I only knew one other person in the factory that was. He said he guessed that because of my work ethic. At the time, the company I worked for was laying me off and paying me unemployment one or two days every week because the particular station I worked at would run out of work by Wednesday or Thursday. In the history of the factory no one had ever even made production at my station until that time.

I am still not sure how he would guess my ethnicity as I know a lot of people today of this same ethnic background who do not like to work and who will go out of their way to avoid it. I do not believe that ethnicity has much to do with our particular work ethics. Our work ethics are not necessarily dictated by our gene pool; but, has more to do with our environment.

I was taught at an early age that in order to live; in order to eat; in order to have shelter and heat, we must work. We must take care of responsibilities. We probably spend around one third of our lives working so we may as well do it well. We may as well throw ourselves into it and enjoy it.

Raising our sons, I would often make games out of household chores. We would work together so that the chores we had to complete would be more enjoyable for all. I tried to teach them that we should enjoy the work that we do since at least one third of our lives will consist of working at some job. And... even if we don't enjoy the work, we must try because we do have to eat.

There is profit in our toil. Sometimes, it is merely to survive and to survive well. At other times it is so that we can share fruitful time with others.

Whatever we do, let us do it well that the work of our hands might glorify our Father in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Prosper The Work Of Our Hands

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and prosper for us the work of our hands—
    O prosper the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:17

 

The word prosper is often misunderstood. It does not always mean rich in material assets all of the time. To prosper also means to be successful at whatever endeavor one might undertake. We can prosper spiritually or emotionally or intellectually. To prosper means to be fruitful. As a transitive verb it means to be strong and to thrive.

 

The work of our hands is not just for our prosperity; but, in accordance with the will of God to help others, as well. For a homeless person or someone who has lost their home to a natural or man-made disaster things such as food baskets or hand-make quilts or even a tent to give them some shelter, can make one feel like they are not alone in the world; that someone does care; and that they are loved.

 

May God bless the work of our hands that we might be fruitful in all that we do according to His will. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J