The Spiritual value of Work

Recently, a friend of mine posted a comment on her Facebook status:


This is madness, I just realised that my job takes up all of my life and the only time I have for myself is on Sabbath. This is not a good sign. I'm losing out on my life- enjoyment, love and sleep.
Coupled with this is the current controversy in Jamaica where the Government wants to expand the gambling industry by permitting horse racing and betting on Sundays (Clarke).

All these issues have motivated me to reflect on work and its G-d given purpose.



God commanded us to work and labour. In Exodus 20:9, God declares "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work" (See also Deuteronomy 5:13).


Work is a God's approved way for human beings to acquire money, services, and goods. God has so designed it that there are benefits to be derived from work. God intends that we be rewarded for our work. His law sanctions that work (productive endeavour) must bear fruit.

Proverbs 10:16 - The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 - Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. - Work done by more than one person will produce greater results than work done by one person.


Proverbs 14:23 - In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. - What ever labour is undertaken, humanity can stand to benefit.

Those who do not work, will suffer severe consequences.

Proverbs 21:25 - The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Proverbs 12:24 - The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. - Those who are lazy will be indebted to others.

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. - Those who are hardworking will own valuable things. The lazy however, will have to live on handouts or borrowed goods and not on things that they own.

Proverbs 15:19 - The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Those who are not productive, will lose everything that they do own or have (Matthew 25:26-28).



Work produces products or results
Psalm 105:44 - And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; -

The products of labour can be inherited. They are tangible and can be passed on to others.


I concur with this part of the statement issued by the Jamaica Council of Churches (Encourage honest work):

"We cannot build our society on gambling. We must affirm the dignity of our people and encourage them to use their God-given gifts and abilities to work for an honest "bread" and for the development of our society."




Work Cited:

Clarke, Orville. "Sunday racing begins November." Jamaica Gleaner 17 Sep 2009, Web.


"Encourage honest work, church bodies tell Gov't." Jamaica Gleaner 22 Sep, 2009, Web.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080217/focus/focus6.html

21st Century Values and Morality

I read an article yesterday where various men were speaking as to why they did not want virgins anymore. The consensus among those who did not want virgins boiled down to impatience. They all could not wait to get their high! They wanted instant gratification, and virgins required too much time and patience before they can reach where they want to be sexually. One specific argument presented is that the more experienced male will have to take time with the virgin as she might tear and is usually in a lot of pain, which takes away from the sexual experience.


In addition to that, I heard a conversation yesterday among young men and women on the campus. In the conversation, the young men were saying that any values or ideas that come from persons born in the sixties or before were old school and not applicable to today. Their argument suggested that values prior to the seventies are no longer relevant to the twenty-first century.


My soul is still pondering these matters. There seems to be a profound shift in morality in this world.