A quick reminder of the 1st Proposition: work is the thing one lives to do....the thing in which one finds spiritual, mental, and bodily satisfaction, and the medium in which he offers himself to God.
The 3rd consequence of this proposition Sayers points out is - if we really believed this proposition and arranged our work and our standard of values accordingly, we should no longer think of work as something that we hastened to get through in order to enjoy our leisure; we should look on our leisure as the period of changed rhythm that refreshed us for the delightful purpose of getting on with our work..............We should all find ourselves fighting, as now only artists and the members of certain professions fight, for precious time in which to get on with the job - instead of fighting for precious hours saved from the job.
Hmmmmmmmm. (And I seem to be doing a lot of Hmmm lately) "...we should look on our leisure as the period of changed rhythm...."
As I think about my work, and how God brought me back to it, I must embrace it as His will. And, I'm finding more and more joy in it, more passion, more means of making a difference and a profit. Brother Lawrence, 17th century monastry lay member, wrote "Men invent means and methods of coming at God's love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God's presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?"
....just to do our common business wholly for the love of him.."
I meet people that have choosen careers and every once-in-a-while someone that is in their calling. There's a big difference, even with those in vocational ministry; between picking a career and a calling. There's a big difference, but "in ministry" is THE calling of all Christian believers.
I pray that I offer myself to God through my work and it helps me find spiritual, mental, and bodily satisfaction.......after all, I spend most of my waking hours working. I pray that I focus on my calling and keep margins in place to help me stay in that rythm of my walk with Him.
To that end.......Amen.
The 3rd consequence of this proposition Sayers points out is - if we really believed this proposition and arranged our work and our standard of values accordingly, we should no longer think of work as something that we hastened to get through in order to enjoy our leisure; we should look on our leisure as the period of changed rhythm that refreshed us for the delightful purpose of getting on with our work..............We should all find ourselves fighting, as now only artists and the members of certain professions fight, for precious time in which to get on with the job - instead of fighting for precious hours saved from the job.
Hmmmmmmmm. (And I seem to be doing a lot of Hmmm lately) "...we should look on our leisure as the period of changed rhythm...."
As I think about my work, and how God brought me back to it, I must embrace it as His will. And, I'm finding more and more joy in it, more passion, more means of making a difference and a profit. Brother Lawrence, 17th century monastry lay member, wrote "Men invent means and methods of coming at God's love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God's presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?"
....just to do our common business wholly for the love of him.."
I meet people that have choosen careers and every once-in-a-while someone that is in their calling. There's a big difference, even with those in vocational ministry; between picking a career and a calling. There's a big difference, but "in ministry" is THE calling of all Christian believers.
I pray that I offer myself to God through my work and it helps me find spiritual, mental, and bodily satisfaction.......after all, I spend most of my waking hours working. I pray that I focus on my calling and keep margins in place to help me stay in that rythm of my walk with Him.
To that end.......Amen.
6 comments:
Danny, this is interesting because I've been really struggling with the work thing. I'm not near as passionate about my work as I was years ago.
Darren
Amen!
Darren: I feel much the same and sometimes wonder if we can't just push it off on a "youth" thing. Not to dismiss, but to align.
Some wise person said "youth is wasted on the young" and that's what popped up when I saw your comment. Pondering it, I'm still there.
What if it's a youth perspective. One that doesn't have the years of travel, triumph and tragedy?
Trying to put things in perspective now, with all the miles behind me, I struggle with not getting cyncical and wanting to taunt Ecclesiastes 1:2 as my mantra.
Then, I know there's the "Law of Timing" and while nothing's new under the sun, we should rejoice in the heritage that is the work of our hands (Ecc 3:22) and honor God.
Finally, for me, I know much of my earlier passion was miss-directed and not placed well at all.
But..........I know what that passion feels like and with wisdom (Ecc 7)...just maybe I can finish well.
Reading Sayers next consequence I thought about Bakke's "Joy at Work" and came across this statement that pertains a to our discussion above -
"The problem is not the desire for significance, but the fact that on this side of heaven, we will always desire more significance than we can achieve." - page 24 of workbook.
I started to say earlier that there's a "hole" in our Gospel (and I don't mean to take away from the excellent book with that name).
The hole is undoubtedly multi-layered and one of those layers is darkened by "why we work." Or, more appropriately, where our passion was so directed in our earlier career-life, and how we were filling that hole with a mist that continued to evaporate.
Now, we know better, at some longingly deep level, and those old thoughts causes us to struggle with today's passion. Or what we think is a lack of.
Really, it's likely not a lack-of, but the old-self trying to miss-guide us.
Danny, in one of your other posts you mention "relevance." That's what I'm talking about here, relevance. Where's the relevance in my work? That's what I'm pondering.
Darren
Darren. This can be a difficult, but good, struggle. I know, I've been there....there sometimes now.
Especially considering the disconnect between normal Biblical teaching and Monday mornings.
It was great yesterday when my pastor, Tim Hawks, talked about work matters in his sermon on Ecclesiastes.
There are a lot of good books I can recommend. Three are -
Redeeming the Routines - Banks
The Other Six Days - Stevens
Show and Tell - Humphries
Blessing Darren and keep commenting please!
Post a Comment