Tag: work

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Working for Money

 I often tell people that I work for money.  As a matter of fact, during some of this tornado recovery, when I have been swamped at work, I was continually debating with myself over my obligation to my employer to trade my time for money , and my obligation to those in need to trade my time for assistance.

This thing has been bugging me for a few weeks and then earlier this week I ran across this little section of John 6.

 27“Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.” (John 6:27, The Message)

Here the Christ says to us to not wast our energy for things that don’t last ( money) but to strive for food that lasts ( Him).

What a difficult statement, as we have to have money to eat and live, don’t we?  Our success in life is based on our stuff and our employment, isn’t it?

Well, in some ways yes.  Work is good, ( did I acutally type that) and should be very rewarded and part of that reward is money.  I think the big thing the Christ says to us here is what are we striving for.

So I guess today, go ahead, work for money, but make sure you know what you are striving for.  Is it perishable or will it last forever?

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Bin Laden and Lookie Lous

What a week of news and activity. My mind is swirling with toughts and emotion as the sight of bucket trucks and the sound of chain saws fills my head. My home is still without power which although is a minor inconvience, does make it hard for a blogger:)!

So just a few simple thoughts today, as my online time is a bit limited right now.

First of all there’s the bittersweet news from the war zone – Bin Laden has been killed. When I read that on Facebook on my tiresome Windows Mobile phone last night, I was surprised on my reaction last night – which was sort of “oh well”. I was a little more surprised by the  joyous celebrations of others. I am just not convinced that is the right reaction. Yes, its a good thing, but it is also a somber event.

   Saying 28

 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
   when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove
   and turn his wrath away from them. (Proverbs 24:17-18, New International Version, ©2011)

I sort of like The Message on this one as well:

 17-18 Don’t laugh when your enemy falls;
   don’t crow over his collapse.
God might see, and become very provoked,
   and then take pity on his plight. (Proverbs 24:17-18, The Message)

And then there is this. After putting in our volunteer time at the Corn Bread Festival in South Pittsburg yesterday we decided to be “Lookie Lous” and come home through Trenton and Flinstone to see the damage. Let me just say that pictures do not do it justice. The devastation in those areas is enormous from just the little bit we were able to see. If you can help, in any way please do so. There are so many ways to help from money, to giving blood to moving debris, to cooking food.

Really, do all you can to be a light for those in these communities that have been hit so very hard with damage.

13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13, New International Version, ©2011)

And well The Message is pretty good here as well:

 12-13What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. (Philippians 2:13, The Message)

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Where’s the Fun

Way back in December of 2009 I posted about the Volkswagen fun theory. This has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately, and it was brought back to my mind with earnest first by this interesting quote that appeared on Amy’s daily calendar last week

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun. -George Scialabba

and then by two very innovative Volkswagen commercials that have made the scene in recent weeks, The Force and the Black Beetle.  Both of these commercials are fill of innovation and fun.

I have often thought about this whole concept of the fun theory over the last 14 months.  Trying to see how to apply it to my home life, my church life, and my work life.  Hey 2 out of 3 aint bad – is it?  Well, that would probably be ok if it wasn’t that the 1/3 that is sans fun accounts for oh 2/3 of my waking hours. It seems sometimes that we I forget that enjoyment of our days is all that we I have.  There is so much to this fun theory, yet it is so incredibly easy to assume that there is something else that we are striving for.   I am all for getting the job done, working hard, and producing a product that brings glory to our Lord,  however, it has to so much better when there is an element of fun involved.

But unfortunately some time the creative is eaten up by the mundane, and the imagination is stymied in process and procedures.  Yesterday was one of those days where I wanted to reach through the telephone and produce untold damage on some of the people of the other end.  Fun.. well not really.  It was actually the farthest thing from fun. I guess that could be viewed as extreme, but is was not fun and as produces a very unpleasant working experience.  It shouldn’t have to be that way.

I have posted about the whole concept of work and my reliance on the writer of Ecclesiastics for a sign of hope before ( here, here and well here.  Or here for the whole list), and once again I go back to the well for some direction on having fun and enjoying the days.  The old man of wisdom says this

24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24 (New Living Translation)

and in the even more contemporary Message paraphrase

24-26 The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that’s it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it’s up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God’s favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:24, The Message)

Let’s not let our God given intelligence go unused. Let us use let that intelligence have fun and let our imaginations take over. I strongly believe it will make the toil of work so different and that it will produce the satisfaction that many of us ( er me) long for each day when we head off the exchange our time for money.

Be creative, have fun , let your imagination run wild and bring glory to God.