WORK: AN ORDINANCE FROM GOD

 BEING A TALK GIVEN TO GROUP OF STUDENTS

     

Man created in image of God shares by his work in the activity of the creator. The first two chapters of Genesis bear witness to this, for in them we find creative activities of God presented in form of "work", done by God in six days. (Cf. Gen. 1&2). The work we do is the means by which we contribute to the creative work of God. Hence, that we must work is an ordinance from God. For we read in Genesis 1: 28, "Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth". In another place we read, "By the sweat of your face will you earn food until you return the ground which you are from" (Genesis 3:19). Thus, from the aforementioned scriptural passages, we come to the knowledge that work is an essential part of man; ordained by God. So, working becomes a duty which we must fulfill; a sacrifice we must offer, and a debt we must pay. Work is God's gift to us because we are created to be fruitful, to this end, when we approach our work with right disposition and attitude; we are thus fulfilling the law of Christ. Our work must therefore proceed from God because we are journeying back to God (God is the end of man).

      Every legitimate work has dignity attached to it (by this claim I mean that there are works that are non-legitimate, these works are illegal such as prostitution, drug dealing, and professional thieves; these works are bad in themselves, because they go against God's plan for man). (Some other works are legal but imposes problem in terms of ethics & morality eg: working in abortion clinic and in pornography industry).    But every work is honourable as far as it does not deprive man of his salvation.

 Since the birth of civilization, human beings have been doing all kinds of work; for man works to feed, he works to sustain life. St. Paul recognizes this with rather harsh words when he says: "If anyone among you is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2Thessalonians 3: 10). Paul employed these harsh words to discourage laziness.  Similarly, our Christian religion teaches us to do our work diligently. This teaching stems from the belief that through the work we do, we can find God. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" For this reason, I urge you my brothers and sisters not to look for God in far-away places but only in work our state in life presentes to us. For God is close to us in our homes, in our working place, on the streets, at the playground, in your studies, for these are altars where we can find God.

      It must also be noted That we must work is a necessity, because God approved that we must not only work but that we must work hard, this we see in the mandate He gave to Adam in Genesis 2: 15, God in the Garden of Eden gave Adam the injunction to till land and cultivate it. (Cultivation as we know is not an easy work; it needs hard work. Book of proverbs also remains us about the necessity of hard work,  Proverb 14: 23; says "Hard work always yields profits but mere talk leads to penury (Poverty)".

Consequently, Successes in all human endeavours bear witness to the testimony of hard work. Everything we enjoy is a result of someone's hard work, hence excellence is not a luck but a fruit of hard work. Good talent often without hard work crumbles. Some may ask: why should we work since many work-up their lives and are paid little or nothing? But I said to you that we must attend to our works with eagerness and right attitude, not only because it is ordained by God but because we owe responsibility:

to self,

to our family,

to our society,

and to our environment. And more also because we will be judged by the works of our hands and our state in life. That is why a wife who lives her domestic duty to pinch her tent in the church in prayer and fasting may still not make heaven.--------------- WHY?--- because she abandoned her primary duty as a mother and wife, for she will be missing the mark when she fails to cook food for her children because of her personal devotion.

 Therefore it becomes necessary that we should treasure those works that our state in life demands from us. As students our primary assignment is our studies, and thus our studies need dignity, it needs discipline, self-sacrifice and perseverance; for only in these that we can be truly called students. With regard to this, when a student lives his/her studies and takes pleasure in partying around and giving much time to frivolities, his/her books suffers, he/she fails in her duty and go against the ordinance of God. For it is a sin for a student not to study (he/ she will be wasting recourses). And so, we have to work now, when we have the time, energy and strength because in near future, if not so soon we will not have the time and the strength to do so. Let our consolation therefore be, that through our work we can gain eternal life. It seems that we often forget this, but St. John reminds us saying: Do not work for things that perishes, but for things that endures to eternal life, which God will give you (See, John 6:27).  Dear people of God, to carry out our work more effectively in this present life, we must guard against those things that will not help us in our work, such as Love of pleasure, Love of power and Love of profit. Though not bad in themselves but they have a way of distracting us towards achieving our goal in life.

In sum, hard work is the only way to excel in life; we cannot seat in the comfort of our rooms assuming that other people will do our work for us. We have to take charge and work hard, because that is the means that God has ordained for us to survive, because in work--- we gain our salvation. Through work we serve people, through work we meet our own needs, for St. Paul teaches us that we must work to meet our needs in life. Through work we acquire resources to help others, for we read in Acts 20: 35, that it is by working hard that we help the weak; hence our Lord teaches us, that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Finally, through work we love God. This we do by obeying his commandment who has called us to be FRUITFUL, MULTIPLY AND FILL THE EARTH. Our work in this present life prepares us for life to come (Beatific Vision). And so dear friends in Christ,

let us learn to work,

let us love to work

let us live working, because work is ordinance from God and when we work we contribute to the creative work of God. May Virgin Mary, who willingly submitted to God's creative work, through the Yes she said, continue to intercede for us as we struggle to do God's will. Amen