I've thought a lot about work and the Gospel lately. I've had three months of overnights, 10 hours a night, alone with these thoughts.
What did God create work for? I mean, from the first pages of the Bible God works and then lets us work what He created. The Psalms tell us that He took great delight in creating creation. So: He created us to work and find satisfaction and delight in it. And, like everything else in life, He intended it for His glory and for our good.
So where did we go wrong?
In those first few pages, in Genesis 3, when we let our pride take place of our love. From that point on God said that we would find toil in our work. It would be frustrating. But it's still for His glory and our good.
So what do I do with that?
I go back to the only job where I've been equally satisfied and frustrated: GAP Ministries.
It's not that I didn't find some satisfaction in being an overnight guy at Circle K. And it's not that I can't clean toilets for the glory of God. I did and I can. But when I think about finding lasting satisfaction AND the glory of my Maker I think of my work at GAP Ministries. Being able to pour into those kids and being poured into by the staff... It is a family. I shouldn't have walked out on family.
We're all created for something. We're all intended to find delight in our work. When I think about what it takes for me to use this TV tray I'm using to type this: someone had to go get the wood, someone had to create the tools to cut the wood down, someone had to pave the roads to get the wood, someone had to create the vehicle to use those roads, someone had to know how to put it together, someone had to create the tools to do that well, someone had to package it, someone had sell that package to a store, someone had to stock it, and I had to have the money to buy it through the job I have that requires all kinds of other people doing their jobs well to make my job go well.
All that to say find delight in your work, whatever it is, and pray that God would show you where you can be most satisfied in your work for His glory and your good...and to be joyfully frustrated.
