Work – Frustration or Fulfillment
Matthew 20:1-16
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
How much do you value your work? Are you bored by what you do? Do you believe that God cares about your work? According to God’s Word, Your work does matter to God.
Why do you work?
· To find self-fulfillment?
· To meet goals you have set in life?
· To become successful?
What is success?
Is success working hard and getting the right breaks to achieve financial success? Success to most means the accumulation of lots of money and materials things. The popular view is that success in your work has nothing to do with success in your personal life.
A man may be a closet alcoholic, have his second or third wife just walk out on him, his kids may be rebellious, his employees can’t stand him, yet because he has lots of money and a thriving business and people may pay big bucks for his endorsement – so in the business world he is successful. The “so called” successful man may not be happy but he can buy all the pleasure he wants. That’s success. For the Christian, success is, knowing the will of God and doing it.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 20:1-16 that puts work in perspective. (Read from Message)
This parable describes the work ethic that often took place in Palestine. In Palestine the grape harvest ripens toward the end of September just before rains come in October. The harvest must be gathered before the rains come. Workers are desperately needed for gather in the harvest before the rains come and the window of opportunity is gone.
The pay of a days wage given by the house-manager was normal pay for that kind of work. The men standing in the marketplace were not like street-corner panhandlers. They were not lazy or looking for handouts. In Palestine the marketplace as the equivalent of the labor exchange. A man came there the first thing in the morning, carrying his tools and he waited there until someone came and hired him. The men waiting there were anxious for work. Some waited all day and were happy to go to work for even one hour.
The estate manager hired some of the laborers to work at 6 am, others at 9 am, then 12 noon, 3 o’clock and then five o’clock. The workday ended at 6 pm. When the men went to receive their pay they all received an equal amount – a days wage.
The men he hired at 6 am agreed to work for a denarius for the day. All the other workers the estate manages gave the promise: “You go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” When the end of the day came and time for the payout all received the same amount. The men who worked only one hour needed as much to feed their families as those who worked all day.
The men who worked all day complained that they deserved more than those that only worked one hour. They murmured and complained like the buzzing of bees. The estate manager made it clear that he had been fair and fulfilled his promise to the workers. It was his privilege to give more if he so desired.
This parable also teaches that although Jesus was born a Jew and the gospel came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Both Jews and Gentiles have the same privileges in the Kingdom of God. Everyone is equal in God’s kingdom.
God in His mercy is constantly giving people opportunity to enter into his Kingdom and participate in Kingdom work. As Christians our goal is to be involved in Kingdom of God work.
You can find your work frustrating or fulfilling.
I. When Work brings Frustration
The writer of Ecclesiastes in 2:10-11 found his work to bring nothing but frustration to his life. “Then I looked on all the works that my hand had done, and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and groping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
Work brings frustration when it is done as an end in itself.
When Solomon looked at the work he had done in his own strength and to his own honor and glory he found all he had done to be meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:18, “I hated all the work I had done.” When work is done as an end in itself it has no meaning or purpose.
When you compromise your integrity at work to please others you work become meaningless.
In the book, The Mind of Watergate, psychiatrist Leo Rangell, relaters what he calls a “compromise of integrity.” He analyzes the relationship between former President Richard M Nixon and several of his closest confidants. He records a conversation between investigative committee member Senator Howard Baker and young Herbert L. Porter:
Baker: “Did you ever have any qualms about what you were doing? Did you ever think of saying0, ‘I do not think this is quite right”…Did you ever think of that?”
Porter: “Yes, I did.”
Baker: “What did you do about it?”
Porter: “I did not do anything.”
Baker: “Why didn’t you.”
Porter: “In all honesty, probably because of the fear of the group pressure that would ensue, of not being a team player.”
Sometimes it takes real courage to be sure to chose the right team and at time take your stand for integrity and honesty in business ethics.
Work brings frustration when it has no dynamic purpose.
Two men were working in the country to install telephone lines. One said, “I’m putting up poles and lines to get paid.” The other man said, “I’m helping to connect the world with a communication system.” The second man saw a vital purpose to his work.
Two carpenters are working side by side. One says, “I’m pounding nails into boards to earn my pay check.” The other man says, “I’m doing my part to build a great Cathedral.” The second man believed he was part of a project that had a great purpose and would help many people.
Work brings frustration when work is divided into two categories, secular and sacred.
The Biblical view of work is that all work – all work that is good for the community and helps people and makes the world a better place to live – is blessed of God. God’s blessing is not on the prostitute, drug pusher or professional thief. Most work in of it self is not evil.
We need to be careful that we do not spiritualize work. As a Pastor I cannot say that my work is more valuable and important than your work as a software engineer or manager of a division of a for profit corporation.
#A missionary gave his testimony that every Christian should be involved in full-time service to God. He said that before he attended seminary he was the owner of a business that sold drill presses. He was involved in his church and he became convicted that his life’s work was not doing much for the Kingdom of God. His business was given to putting holes in metal and later having the holes filled up with screws.
He reflected on the fact that he needed to being doing something that counts for eternity. He was only giving God what was left over of his energy. He wanted to do more. He wanted to have a different life, one that would count for God so he became convinced that he needed to make a career change.
He heard a minister say that being a missionary or pastor was the highest calling of God. He decided to sell his business of drilling holes and go into full time work for God. He believes that everyone should surrender to a full-time life of service and ministry.
To divide work into either sacred or secular brings frustration. God’s blessing is on all work that does not violate the teachings of scripture.
Scriptures do not teach a division between sacred and secular. I Peter 2:9-10 says, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Peter is saying, that whether you are a merchant, a servant, or a shepherd, you are part of a royal priesthood. Where you are a teacher, truck driver, engineer, salesperson, pastor, evangelist, or missionary, you are all part of the priesthood of God. All are priests through Jesus Christ. All are in equal standing before God.
A faulty interpretation of scripture can give a person a wrong view of his/her work and result in frustration.
It is God’s will for everyone to find fulfillment in their work.
II. When Work Brings Fulfillment.
The writer of Ecclesiastes declares that work is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him – for this is his lot. Morever, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.” When you are working at a job you enjoy your work doesn’t seem like work. Your work is more a delight than a duty.
I Corinthians 15:58 states that God’s blessing is on all work when you work to bring honor and glory to God. The Apostle Paul is speaking to Christians involved in all kinds of work when he says: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing more you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Here’s more good news. Regardless of your work – if it has integrity- and helpful and not hurtful to people- God not only blesses your work but He is a co-worker and partner in you work.
In scripture God gives several reasons for work.
1. Through work you serve people.
2. Through work you meet your own needs.
3. Through work you meet your family needs. I Tim. 5:8
4. Through work you earn money to give to others. Eph. 4:28
5. Through work you love God.
All legitimate work is an extension of God’s Work. In the beginning when God created Man he created humankind to be in partnership with Him. Genesis 2:8,15, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden: an there he put the man he had formed…The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Suppose you had hired Jim to come and work for you. During the interview, Jim, tells you “I just can’t wait to get in there and work on the job.” Well the first day on the job, the first thing Jim did was to go down to the office to sit and wait to find out when was the first break, lunch break, and the second break. Jim was able to make it to the bathroom at least three times in between breaks. Jim informed the foreman that he could think of three ways the job could be made easier. None of his ideas were any good. Jim stopped by the office on the way home to let them know he would probably be late coming in tomorrow, and would have to have this Friday off for personal reasons. How long would you put up with Jim?
Suppose you had hired Jan. During the interview, Jan did not show as much enthusiasm but she too wanted the job. On the first day on the job, Jan had to be stopped in order to take her first break. She was the first one back from lunch and was the last one to stop working when it was time to go home. On her way past the office, the foreman said, “Jan, you did a great job today.” How long would you put up with Jan?
Which one, Jim or Jan saw work as extension of God’s work? Jan not Jim had an attitude that her work was an extension of God’s work.
Your worth is based on who you are and not what you do.
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the results of works, so that no one may boast.” One of the messages of that verse is that our worth before God would be exactly the same even if we were to be unemployed. Your value was secured by what Jesus Christ did on a cross; it is not affected by how much or how little you do.
Jesus is your boss. Whatever your line of work, you may have one or more bosses. But you really only have one boss. Jesus is your boss. Regardless of you line of work you find ultimate fulfillment when you work to please Jesus. Ephesians 6:7-8, “With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”
This doesn’t mean that when your boss at work gives you an job assignment, you say, “I want you to know I have a new boss, It is Jesus.” I don’t have to take your orders. I only take my orders from Jesus. The scriptures make it clear that you are under the authority of your boss a work as long as your boss is not abusive or immoral.
If your work is really an extensions of God’ work, then it must be done in God’s way. With dignity and responsibility. Your work is primarily a opportunity to do ministry. First of all it is your opportunity to give your best to your work. You don’t take advantage of your company and spend hours talking to people about God. You may as the opportunity arises talk about your personal faith in Jesus Christ and the value you receive from studying the Bible. You may take opportunity to spend the lunch hour talking about your personal faith and offering to pray for other co-workers. You are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ but you abuse your position and responsibility at work. You are alert and sensitive to co-workers and their needs. You know that when your co-workers are going through a personal or family crisis they may be open to having you pray with them or looking a scriptural promises in God’s Word.
When you realize your work is in partnership with the Lord and Jesus is your boss, you don’t get bored with your work, you find it exciting, challenging, and fulfilling.
