Why Do I Need to Work

Why Do I Need to Work One of the (few?) comforts to be taken from Ecclesiastes is that people have complained about their jobs for thousands of years. But, really, work can feel like meaningless stress. Especially for those of us who just need a job, any job, to pay the bills and keep food on the table. Enjoying work is a luxury that’s hard to imagine. And, even those of us blessed with “dream” jobs have parts of it that feel monotonous or frustrating. Yet, for many of us, work is where we spend a majority of our lives. So, the work of our hands matters, regardless of what it may be. The question becomes, what’re we working for? Many of our earthly motivations are fleeting and lead to more stress than they’re worth. Yet, work can shape us into the type of people who reflect Jesus better: peaceable, generous, kind, and humble. Some seasons of stress or crummy jobs might be unavoidable. But, let’s cling to the values that really matter along the way as we pray God continues to shape us into people more like him. Often, who we’re becoming is more important than what we’re doing.