What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3 NLT)
This is a question to be pondered day and night. What fruits of hard labor are you expecting to reap?
I understand how learning to pour great effort into completing a task teaches one the value of discipline as well as perseverance. There is nothing wrong with being able to support your family, even better if you also can afford pleasant things and exciting adventures. Accolades and status should come to those who consistently get the job done with stellar results. Each one of us knows the list of benefits arising from hard, honest work is long and varied.
Yet, I wonder if our desire to work so hard is a bit self-serving. Many of us take care of ourselves and our own without much thought for what our neighbors require. We do things like volunteer, give away used things to the poor, or donate money to children starving in poor countries. But we work like our lives depend on it because in this society money is power unfortunately. The idea of "he who dies with the most toys wins" is not a joke, but a curse dampening the spirit of cooperation.
Do not act like I am an alarmist screaming about the sky falling. When is the last time you gave away your car to a single mother who needed it to get to work more easily? And I have never told a homeless man you can live in my home until you get back on your feet. Finding the fortitude to participate in bold acts of kindness requires a leap of faith. You must believe God will allow even greater blessings to flow into your life as you let possessions leave your hands.
A radical change in attitude is needed to help us embrace the greater purpose of working hard to sow love even when it is very inconvenient to do so. You and I must acknowledge that the best fruit reaped from our hard labor is the transformation our nation into heaven on earth. Let us start with small tasks until we can become fully committed to our new job of securing a bright future for every child.
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