Work That Truly Matters
Saturday’s Verse:
From Genesis 2:15 ESV
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
In a recent cancer counseling session, the leader (I don’t remember her name) asked us to write down a list of occupations we’d be terrible at performing. My list:
Golf announcer - I’m not a golf fan; I’d fall asleep by the seventh hole.
Chicken farmer - Ringing in my head is the scene from the Rocky movie where Mickey had Rocky run around an alleyway trying to catch a chicken. He fell. That would be me.
Violinist - The only instrument I’ve ever played was a piano, and I was barely OK. I think I provided Mrs. Johnson with a lot of stress.
Skyscraper Climber - I’ve seen videos of people climbing up skyscrapers to fix antennas; I’d fall, and people’s TV reception would fail.
Surgeon - I just know I’d end up killing people on the table because I cut the wrong artery or something.
After writing down these five occupations, I thought of poor Adam at the creation of the world. God picked him up, dropped him into the Garden of Eden, and told him to take care of it. The poor guy! He’d never tended a garden or kept a large plot of land looking good. He didn’t have YouTube to provide videos on how to grow fruits and vegetables. And he had to deal with dinosaurs. Adam, I feel for you!
After Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, there is one thing he didn’t do: He never complained. Instead, he got to work fulfilling the Lord’s command. He may not have been perfect in growing kale, but he listened to the words spoken to him by the Father and did them.
Our daily goal may not be to tend a garden or keep a large plot of land looking great. Instead, we have another command of God: Loving Him above all things and loving our neighbor as we would like to be treated. Without a Godly command, this is a laudable goal. But with that command from God, we’re given a blessed mission.
As we continue on this Labor Day weekend, let us hold fast to God’s command to be and show love for all. Don’t let the stress of car or people traffic raise your anger. Show love and give peace this weekend.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, give me a heart of mission to fulfill Your command to love others, including You above everything. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+