EcclesiastesSample

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK

Most people around the world would agree that work is important. I mean, it is the very thing that our society is centered around. We go to school so we can go to college so that we can find a job and work to make a living. But, how many of us would agree that work is important when we find ourselves doing small, seemingly insignificant tasks? Think about school projects. I always found projects to be more time-consuming than other assignments in my classes and often felt that they didn’t really help me learn. They just seemed like “busy work”. Is work really important when it seems to serve no real purpose?

In Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, Solomon expresses his frustration with the aspects of work that he finds to be insignificant, such as working endlessly in the fields all day only for his hard labor to be enjoyed by someone else. He then moves on in 2:24-26, saying “there is nothing better for a person that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.” So, how are we supposed to find enjoyment in work that does not seem important and that we might not enjoy? Is this even possible?

Working for ourselves or constantly searching for earthly meaning in work will not satisfy us. Any satisfaction we could potentially gain is fleeting. Solomon says in 3:11, “[God] has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end.” This verse makes it clear that God has given us a desire to understand all in life, but we have a limited ability to do so right now. This yet-to-be-fulfilled longing is meant to point to Him. We might not understand the meaning and importance of our work, but this lack of understanding and desire for meaning is meant to point us to the ultimate meaning found in Christ.

Instead of continuing to search for meaning and understanding of all in life, we should seek to enjoy the gifts God has given us, which Ecclesiastes makes clear includes work. We can find enjoyment in work because we are doing it for the Lord. And thus, this is a gift. What if we thought about work as a form of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord for all He has blessed us with? I think shifting our minds to this perspective would make it much easier to understand the importance of our work and to find joy in work.

We serve a God who is loving and purposeful with every action, which means that everything has meaning, even seemingly insignificant tasks. While we might not understand the full purpose of these things on this side of eternity, our quest should point us to the ultimate meaning of life found in Jesus Christ! His work is permanent and purposeful, and we work and live for Him alone.

ASK YOURSELF:

1. What are some things in your life that you have a hard time finding meaning in or seem trivial to you?
2. Take some time to reflect on these things. Why do you think the Lord wants these tasks to be a part of your life? How can you honor the Lord even in these small, seemingly trivial tasks?