In some circles work has become a dirty word. Historically those in the upper realms of society celebrated the fact that they did not have to work; such manual efforts were left for the lower class. Processionals of royalty would be met with fanfare, while common laborers would be pushed out of the way to provide access for the more ‘important.’

Interestingly, work was never designed to be shunned or mocked. The first time work was noticed was in the Garden of Eden. Adam was given the responsibility by God to take care of the Garden. I’m sure that God never intended Adam to relegate the work to his subordinates, considering it to be beneath him.

Work has been responsible for some of the world’s greatest feats. Man did not walk on the moon without hundreds of thousands of hours of intense toil. The intricate mathematical problems that had to be solved were mostly done before computers were very ‘smart.’

Great things can be accomplished when we set our minds to it. Making the decision to begin is usually the most difficult part of any accomplishment. Imagine where we would be today if Edison had decided that he was done trying after the first few failures. It was his decision to continue trying until he made it work that gave us inventions like the light bulb.

Most folks have a moment of reflection toward the end of their lives. They take a look back over their lives to see what they have accomplished. Have their efforts amounted to anything worthwhile?

The wise man, Solomon, must have battled with similar thoughts. He asked in…

Ecclesiastes 1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

At the end of his life, Solomon, the wisest and richest man ever looked back over his life wondering if his efforts had counted for anything. It was in that moment that he realized that the only thing he can take out of this life is that which has been deposited in eternity.

Those things we have done for Christ, in His name, will last to our account forever. Those things that we have done aimlessly, and for our own credit, will burn up, never to be seen again. Those incredible inventions of man that have changed the world, will one day be incinerated and lost.
However, the good deeds we do for others, the praises we offer the Lord, the opportunities we take to share Christ with others, and the relationship we develop with Christ will all endure time without end.

Our labors ‘under the sun,’ or in the physical world, won’t amount to much unless they were done for Christ. Let’s take an evaluation before we get to the end, and see what ‘profit’ our lives are making, to make sure we are mounting up lasting riches.