Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday July 31, 2007

I received a nice note and offering from a young lady who is working on her nursing degree and financing the efforts by providing care for sick and elderly home bound women. A tough way to make it, but make it she will. She does the work to get by, but knows in her heart that she will love working in a structured nursing environment. PTL.

One of the blessings of Eden prior to the fall was the fact that God gave Adam work to do, without the curse of "earning a living from the sweat of his brow." The "sweat" came after the fall.

The main difference in pre-fall work and post-fall work is of course not effort, but meaning. The happiest workers are the ones who can find, even feel, a sense of accomplishment that is of real benefit to others. The old saying, "Well, somebody has to do it" is of little comfort when you are doing a particular task that you are not suited for.

For instance, driving a truck has brought numerous rewards to my older brother who owns several big rigs and well into his seventies still runs the coast to coast routes, and loves what he does. He understands the part trucking plays in the life of the nation. Other men, those not suited for trucking are bored to tears after a few weeks or months of chauffeuring a KW around the country.

Wise men and women have for centuries advised younger folks to take the time to discover what they are really "suited" for and to throw themselves into this work, often changing the word to career. It must be kept in mind that we find true fulfillment in Christ alone and not what is erroneously called "His" work is meant to be fulfilling if we are suited for what is called, again, erroneously "secular." The point is dealt with by several thinkers and most adults know in their heart the futility of the "daily grind," from experience during some part of their life. Far too many know about it firsthand from the experience of their entire life. Dostoyevski wrote about this in "The House Of The Dead:"

"If he had to move a pile of dirt from one place to another and back again, I believe the convict would hang himself preferring rather to die than endure such humiliation, shame and torture."

Dostoyevski observed this during his ten years in a Russian prison.

One reason most Americans would rather have a tooth pulled than fool with any government agency is simply the unnecessary paper work of a mindless bureaucracy.

Much is written about the workers who goof off playing games on the computer, but very little is ever mentioned about the mindless "make work" assigned with no apparent purpose. This is done by moronic people who fail to discern the difference between busy and productivity.

When Jesus instructed us to "Work for the night cometh" He was not talking about just keeping busy, but to learn to apply our time, talent and treasure with effectiveness as the desired result from well thought out action bathed in prayer.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit.

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