A Working Vacation

 A Working Vacation

Here is yet another vacation post (but also a critical question): Eccl. 1:3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

The Bible says a great many positive things about the value of work. The Bible also says some very negative things about laziness. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is not arguing against the Bible. I’m quite sure he agrees. He has another point to make.

I think the turning point in The Preacher’s question is in the word “gain,” as in “win” or “get.” He is not questioning the value of work. I believe that God put us on this earth, in part, to be re-creators. Certainly a huge step below Creator, and humans sometimes speak of their creativity as if they are doing something brand new. Nope, just rearranging what God created. But this is an aspect of work. The farmer in the field is re-creating/working. The welder. The financier. Some have doubts about the pastor.

When a person works long, and hard, and well - what does he get for it? A wage? Satisfaction? Yes, those things. But what is he (or she) afterwards that they were not before? Richer? Happier? Maybe, or maybe not. But think about the term “afterwards.” We are not just evaluating short-term gain. We are talking about big-picture gain. What has a person gained by their work, with God? What have they gained by working as they one day stand before God? I think that is much closer to The Preacher’s question. We say that we work “to get ahead.” But he gives us the perspective to know that this is true in only the skinniest of senses. On a broader scale, your work makes no difference in your standing with God, which lasts for eternity.

My Dad worked hard, and I (we) benefited. He built by hand both houses we lived in growing up. He started as sweeper and ended up as vice-president at the local hospital, meaning that, though times were pretty tight earlier on, our parents were able to take good care of us. There is real benefit in that.

But now that Dad is gone and will stand before God, his acceptance will not be based on his good work, or, his good works. He will be accepted because of Christ’s good work. Eternal salvation and blessing are through Christ alone. Oh, and the benefits of Dad’s good works will not benefit me either at that time. Only Christ’s.