balancing act

"So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."*

In London a few months ago I was privalleged enough to go and see Circus de Soleil. One of my favourite performances was the tightrope. The climax of their act involved two people balancing on bicycles on the tight rope, while between them on a pole resting on their sholders another man sat atop another bicycle. One needs great balance for such a performance! Sometimes trying to work out how we should live can feel like a great balancing act, one which if we fail at, will send us tumbling a long way. And so I ask, do we work to live? or do we live to work?

By working to live I mean that one works simply to survive, or that one works for the time one has not at work, for example, leisure. By living to work, I mean that one devotes their whole time, energy and identity into their career.

Last year I tried to learn more about what I considered the opposite of work; which is rest. In the process I also learnt some interesting things about work!

The first challenge was working out what 'work' meant. It obviously includes employment (a means of earning one's livelihood), but what if you do something you love? like sing!? When you get paid for what you love to do, does it stop being restful and a hobby and become a job, something one must do? Furthermore, does all work have to be -by definition- an effort and something we toil over?

Last week I went to a conference, one of the seminars was on work. I want to share some of the things I learnt there about this topic. It might give a better perspective on this balancing act than I was able to put into words over the past year's reflections.

Work is good: God created the world, and before the 'Fall' he had already given tasks to people; naming animals, taking care of the garden, etc. This work was designed to express worship to God.

Work is hard: people failed to do the task given them and so got fired from the garden. Work becomes toilsome, futile and a compulsory act of survival. This is something many of us can identify with to one extent or another, work can be a necessary but not desirable thing in life.

'Their day of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.'**

Yet, Work is culture building: it is through work that we have advancements in tecnology, wonderful works of art and music, language and culture. But when we are identified by freedom from work, then we live for the weekend and dispise the rest of life as a means of enjoying those 2 days a week! On the other hand, if we are defined by our relationship to work then every success and failure is attributed to us, we work all day every day with the outcome reflecting who we are and what we can achieve. Neither of these options is ideal nor desirable.

Work for the LORD, not self: those who are defined by their relationship to God, still work. It is not the freedom of work nor the relationship to it that are making them and giving them purpose.

'Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.'***

Worship God through work: part of working for the Lord and letting work be a worship of Him who created all things, including work, is to trust Him to provide. We do that by letting Him take care of the daily bread and other necesities, and instead focus our attention on the task He has given us; to seek His kingdom and righteousness.

So I conclude, don't live to work or work to live, but instead life for Jesus, work with and for your Creator.

*Matthew 6:31-33

**Ecclesiasted 2:23
***Colossians 3:23