The Miracle of Work

To many people work is necessary if they are to have food, shelter, clothing, and more if possible. When we don't work we put ourselves and our family in a poor situation; literally and figuratively speaking. Still others believe if they don't work that is what the government or parents are for. They are there in case something gets in their way and have to take a step aside to find themselves. According to Prudential Financial 58% of people between the ages of 18-24 are living with their parents. Only 41.5% of them are in the workplace. Today work is not as esteemed as living with your parents, or going to college, or just plain trying to figure it out while you get three squares a day with a bed, electronic devices and an "understanding" parent.

Work is important because it provides us with the money needed so we don't become a burden to other people. We were not created to be a burden but rather to be a blessing. Our work provides us with the resources to be able to help others when they have hit a rough patch in life. Never is work from one person to enable another person to be or remain a burden to others. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule but let's stay focused on the majority and the general rule than the exception.

The miracle of work began with the first man and woman. They were to tend the garden and watch over it. They were given a meaningful responsibility to use their God given talents and abilities to manage and be good stewards over the fruit of the earth. This required workers to work in tandem as a unified team to produce an abundant crop. Where one person had a weakness the others had their strength to help the team succeed. The miracle of work allows complementary actions from others to produce a crop in more abundance than one person could do alone. When we work we are planting seeds. What I mean by seeds is that we add value and work hard together to produce 30, 60, 100 times more than what each singular person could do on their own. The miracle of work produces an abundance not so much for us to indulge in our own riches but rather that we use our riches to bless and add value to others and our community.

Leadership in our homes, schools, workplaces, and community need to espouse the virtue and principle of the miracle of work instead of focusing on the college for all, careers, a shorter work week, work from home, and other ways of trying to achieve "work-life balance." We are to demonstrate what it means to be a hard worker and not to be a burden to one another. This will require personal responsibility, being held accountable to the team, and provide unity in the workplace so as to produce an abundance of 30, 60, or 100 times.

Be the miracle in the workplace that more and more people need to see. We certainly have compassion, empathy, and a desire to help people. But sometimes our desire to help will often enable a generation or a people to become more of a burden than a blessing.