Work: Madness or meaning?
Work: Beyond the paycheck, part 1 of 4
Pastor Vince DiPaola
I. God’s “Plan–A” for our work life
“To Adam He said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘you must not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. By the sweat of your brow…” (Genesis 3:17&19a, NIV)
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule… over all the earth… God blessed them and said be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:26&28a, NIV)
” All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23, NIV)
Though work now isn’t as enjoyable as it could have been, God designed it to be meaningful & fulfilling
II. The meaning we derive from work
(4 Benefits of work in the “wisdom books” of Proverbs & Ecclesiastes, NIV)
1. Work produces increased confidence within me.
” A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat and find enjoyment? “ (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25)
“A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive.” (Proverbs 18:9, TEV)
” Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings.” (Prov.22:29)
King David & his increased confidence through work
2. Work produces invigorated discipline in me
” The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.” (Proverbs 16:26)
” He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. “ (Proverbs 12:11)
” The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)
3. Work produces initiated achievement by me
” Then I realized it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor… when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them… this is a gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18–19)
” Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Proverbs 10:4)
” Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.” (Proverbs 12:24)
4. Work produces instilled character in me.
” A lazy man will think he is smarter than seven men who can give good reasons for their opinions.” (Proverbs 26:16, TEV)
” A lazy fellow has trouble all through life; the good man’s path is easy” (Proverbs 15:19, LB)
” The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4)
” For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example… we worked night and day… so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this…in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7–9)