TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:17
Read: Ecclesiastes 2:17-24
Listen: Ecclesiastes 2
TODAY’S MESSAGE
In Genesis 3:19, God says that Adam and Eve will work until they die. It sounds like a pretty pointless life and the book of Ecclesiastes grapples with this very idea. The author of Ecclesiastes talks about how work feels meaningless because he will turn it over to someone else when he dies and that his achievements may not last. The author wants us to realize that all work will feel empty at times.
Creating order can feel empty when we know the chaos may eventually take over again. Perhaps none feel this more consistently than the parent in an endless loop of cleaning a space only to see it disorganized within the hour. Or perhaps it just feels like nobody knows the quality of work you are doing, and nobody cares. For others, you might be very successful in your craft but still have a nagging, empty feeling inside.
In today’s full verses, the writer of Ecclesiastes also talks about finding satisfaction in work. This satisfaction is not in merely climbing the corporate ladder, earning the most money or having success in your projects. Instead, this satisfaction comes in recognizing that work matters because God created us for it. We can find meaning in the act of work and bring our best today and tomorrow. Being faithful in our work matters.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Find a quiet place to journal. Spend a few minutes reflecting on what it could look like to bring your best to the roles God has you in today. Then journal about how you could find meaning in the process of work rather than just the results.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
