Beyond the Weekend

May 8 | Work Can Be Frustrating

May 8, 2019

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  Genesis 3:18

Read: Genesis 3:18

Listen: Genesis 3

TODAY’S MESSAGE

God makes an interesting statement when he addresses Adam about how his sin is going to affect the world and his work. God says that the work will produce thorns and thistles. In other words, his work of planting and gardening won’t always go like it’s supposed to. Sometimes he will look down at the “fruit” of his labor and think, “I didn’t plant that. What’s that doing here?” When trying to create order out of chaos, sometimes the chaos will come back. Instead of order leading to satisfaction, sometimes the order will simply give way to more chaos.

Unfortunately for us, chaos comes back in our lives as well. As a parent, you have worked hard to instill good values into your child, just to see them making poor or even destructive choices. Maybe you have worked hard to create a healthy marriage but find there is always another issue to work through together. Perhaps your job hunt hasn’t gone your way. You continuously send out resumes and go to interviews, but never get the job. Sometimes work just doesn’t go like we want it to—the chaos holds on.

However, Genesis 3:18 ends with hope. The work will produce thorns and thistles, but it will also produce plants to serve as food. God tells Adam that he will find the fruit of his labor mixed in with thorns and thistles. The ground won’t produce like it was supposed to, but God is still at work. We will have frustrating days, but we will also have moments of joy and success. The work will be frustrating, but it will also be fulfilling. We can be grateful for that.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Grab your journal. Write ways you feel fulfilled in the roles God has given you right now. Once you have finished, ask God to fill you with gratitude for these areas.


Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.

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