There’s More to Work Than Just Work
“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:6
Whatever happened to the work ethic? The Jews of Nehemiah’s day were eager to join together, work hard, and rebuild the wall that had once surrounded and protected their beloved city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah had been the cupbearer, the one who served wine, for the Persian king Artaxerxes. When Nehemiah heard how the wall and the city had been destroyed, he became depressed and the king noticed his sad face and asked him what was troubling him. After Nehemiah explained the situation, he asked the king if he could return to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the wall. (Jerusalem’s wall had been destroyed by the Chaldeans, also known as the Babylonians, after they had taken the Jews captive and led them away to Babylon. Several years later a remnant of Jews was allowed to return to Jerusalem and found the deplorable condition of the city.) King Artaxerxes agreed to release Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem.
Upon his return, Nehemiah had no trouble finding volunteers to help him even in the face of opposition from some of Israel’s surrounding enemies, because “the people had a mind to work”. Things sure are different now. The government says, “sit back, relax, we’ll give you a cell phone, groceries, and subsidize your housing. We’ll pay your doctor bills, educate your children, help with your utility bills, and you don’t have to work for any of it.” Where did we go from working and providing for our families to this entitlement mentality? Of course, people who are truly in need, who are disabled, or aged and have no family to care for them should be helped. No one disagrees with that. It should be the duty of the church to be the first to help those who are truly in need.
God created men and women to work, to provide for their families, and to share their abundance with those who need help. Work is more than just a paycheck. It is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. It is an opportunity to be creative and learn from others. We can broaden our horizons and improve our skills. I think one of the most important things about work is when you work hard and accomplish results, it gives you a satisfaction that can’t be earned any other way. Anything worth having is worth working for. I like what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:13: “…that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God”. It’s not the gift of the government!