I remember sitting at my desk and looking out the window to the distant hills of Yetholme. I had just been relocated to Bathurst and was given the prime spot in the whole building where the view was incredible. It was a time of excitement. Out there in those hills lay places to discover and enjoy. It was one of those magnificent days that beckon us out into the great outdoors. Only trouble was I was stuck in the office … I had to work! I had an adventurous spirit and longed for the freedoms that could be enjoyed riding a trail bike in the forests surrounding Bathurst or walking in the valleys that the beautiful hills of Yetholme hid from public view. I haven’t changed much over the years … funny thing now is the view from my office window lasts for one metre and then all you can see is a brick wall! Perhaps the Lord knows how my mind can so easily be high jacked to the things I see out my window! Why is it that we have to spend most of our waking moments working? There is so much out there for us to enjoy!
Today, we come to the second in our new series in becoming distinctive disciples. Last week we were reminded that Jesus has called us to be salt and light to those people He has placed in our lives whether it is in the family, at school, university, in the workplace, the community where we reside or in this church family here at Grace. We were also reminded that to be a distinctive disciple, that is, one that stands out, requires the right motivation. We were reminded to set our hearts and minds on things above and not on earthly things. We were encouraged to view things from an eternal perspective. Why then, is there this push to work, and for that matter, work hard?
The Bible has much to say on this rather complex and difficult subject. Pastor Ernest will take us into the first few chapters of Genesis to give us God’s perspective on work and the difficulties that may flow from it. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us find working a chore and we all find the people we work with often challenging. It is the same in the home and in the church family. What attitudes do we need to develop? How can we be salt and light in the workplace, at school, university and in the family where we have to serve and work with others? I trust that you will find some encouragement as we explore God’s reasons for us to work and, in particular, how we can deal with the difficulties that often come our way from working.