A Way to Happiness in a TGIF World
By Guest Writer, Kara Dedert
Today’s Treasure
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:13
The message of a TGIF world is that work is a burden, something to be avoided, and an unpleasant part of life. While it is true that work includes struggle in a fallen world, it’s important to remember that work was given to man before the fall as a way to flourish.
Work is part of God’s plan for humans to flourish. Pre-fall Adam and Eve used their gifts without pressure – they created, cultivated, nurtured, and invented. Post-fall, it now takes the demands of work to get us to use our gifts. The pressures of needing to provide and impending deadlines make me more productive. This is part of the struggle of work, but the blessing is that we do create and innovate and use our gifts and find fulfillment in doing so. Why all this talk about work?
We’ve come out of a season of having little work. Darryl and I were personally able to continue working remotely throughout quarantine, but many friends of ours were not. Some lost their jobs or were placed on furlough; in addition to the obvious challenges of job loss, they struggled with feeling little purpose. There is a natural ambition in us, a created drive, to use what God has given to better our world and others. Work is the avenue for this. And it’s a blessing.
I’ve also had a front-row seat on my teens beginning to enter the work world. Our 16-year-old keeps busy with babysitting, working at a bookstore, and, most recently, picking strawberries at a local farm. Our 13-year old son was thrilled to find out he met the age requirement to join in. For the past few weeks, Darryl and I have gotten up with them before dawn, packed their lunches, and sent them off (with many quiet prayers for safety on the roads). By the time they’ve returned home in the afternoon, they are tired and hot. Never has the couch in the cool living room felt quite so good. Rest suddenly becomes much more appreciated.
Dinner table conversations have become more lively as they share about working with other kids: the ones who complain, the fastest pickers, the ones who help the others, and funny conversations. Strawberry picking has led to great discussions about worldviews, farming, how to treat others, and being a good employee. It’s also led to learning about commitment because 13-year-olds don’t always feel like working every day of the week (M-Sat) no matter the weather! They learn responsibility and the art of learning to go through things that aren’t always pleasant.
They’ve also learned the beauty of getting a paycheck on Saturdays and a little spending money for a cold treat. The funny thing is, it’s made them happier. There’s a sense of purpose and productivity that comes with it that’s a natural blessing that flows out from being faithful and working in the way we were created to. Far more than creating on Minecraft or playing the Nintendo Switch or playing games at home (we do all of those in moderation). We need to cultivate the way of work as a way of happiness.
When we focus on work as simply a means to an end, it means we show up but with a mix of resentment and bitterness worked in. This is the shade of the fall that wants to color everything. Instead of “I get to show up” and giving the best of our gifts, we replace it with “I have to show up” and produce little, which makes us feel worse.
But when we focus on work as the avenue to use our gifts and receive the gift of blessing that comes from it, it becomes a conduit for happiness and fulfillment regardless of whether it takes place in the strawberry field or corporate office. And that brings us full circle back to the blessing of work.
PRAYER
Lord, we would not choose labor, yet You, our Creator, know through work we learn life lessons and often purpose for each day. May we do everything for Your glory.
Originally posted at www.karadedert.com, June 27, 2020
Kara Dedert is the creator of Root and Grow, a midwest mom to five and wife to Darryl. She writes regularly on faith, special needs, parenting, and home. Her writing has been featured at Key Ministry, Live Better With Disability, Break the Parenting Mold, the Bible Study Magazine, and Fox 17.
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.