Does ANYONE Want to Work?

I remember one of my first paying jobs was working with my then-girlfriend’s father bringing-in hay during the summer. Bailing and stacking hay in a hot hayloft has to be one of the toughest jobs ever!

I remember the first day. It was 95 degrees and the barn was even hotter. We had no airflow and the dust from tossing bails up into the loft was as thick as proverbial “pea soup.” One by one, the bails would come up the elevator and we’d toss them up to someone who would stack them.

By the end of the day, I could barely breathe. I was gasping and choking, wheezing and coughing-up black slime. (Gross I know—sorry). All for minimum wage...almost.

Maybe this is why I have little sympathy for people who refuse to work at Burger King and choose unemployment instead…..

As a chaplain to a handful of companies and in my training role with others, I've often heard employers complain that, while they often have several open positions, they can't find anyone willing to--you know--actually work! The entitlement mentality that one is "owed" a paycheck for minimal or sometimes zero effort seems to dominate our U.S. workforce like never before.

The Bible begs to differ. Proverbs 12:14 tells us that hard work brings many rewards. God honors hard work (see Genesis 31:38-42). Christians are told to work "as for the Lord" and that this effort is never wasted because He sees it and blesses us (I Cor. 15:58, etc.).

So...why not roll-up your sleeves and hit your job with passion? Who knows what spiritual, emotional, mental, and yes, physical blessings may follow!

To that end,

Pastor Joel