The Work of Our Hands
Contents:
If our work is something we do in order to get something else, this leads to frustration and despair. But, if we enjoy it as an end in itself there will be many rewards in work 8: We find fulfillment in work when we humbly accept the limits of life. We can cherish the time we have to work.
We, like the animals, go down to death, along with most of our achievements. And yet that realization alone need not destroy the possibility of present enjoyments 9: Let's face it, most of the trouble we get into with our work is when we fail to keep work in its place. We become obsessive, trying to secure ourselves through our work, making our work an idol.
A theology of work is as needed as it is scarce. Darby Bible Translation And let the beauty of Jehovah our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us: Consider the story of the little boy who walks past a construction site where a couple of masons are hard at work. On the other hand, the ideogram for leisure is composed of the two characters for space and sunshine. It helps us find balance in our work between fostering relationships and doing tasks. There are many reasons why we experience aridity in prayer. Maintaining a healthy perspective on work is critical to successful pastoral ministry.
It is better to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, the day-to-day routine, the rhythm of work and rest. A newspaper reporter was interviewing an old rancher and asked him to what he would attribute his success as a rancher. With a twinkle in his eye the man replied, "It's been about 50 percent weather, 50 percent good luck and the rest is brains. There is a sense of satisfaction in having a job.
Much more even when we see our simple job as a calling - a vocation, a reason to get up, a place to go, something to do. His gift of Grace has a lasting value. Therefore, we do not need to live with anxiety because of our own limitations.
The Work of our Hands
We do not need to dwell in endless worry. Joy and a sense of meaning comes to us as a surprise. All of a sudden what earlier sounded like the desperation of the writer of Ecclesiastes, begins to sound a lot like good common sense advise. We live in a society of achievement and success. We are ambitious, constantly making plans, setting goals, striving and moving forward.
Establish the Work of Our Hands
But where does it lead? Our goals, our great objectives are often "chasing after wind. Our work becomes oppressive when we ask too much of it. When we insist that what we do lasts forever, that it be the only meaning and purpose of our lives. We must do more than work. We must learn how to have a life, more than simply making a living. We are therefore invited to work, not seeking results, but rather enjoying the process of the toil.
Only God knows where all of this leads, what it finally adds up to. We don't have to keep anxiously asking ourselves what lasts. We can keep working, and enjoying our labors, because we know that the love of Jesus has no end. Psalm 90, reminds us how fragile and vulnerable life is: Therefore, he also expresses this humble prayer to God: In the end, God will somehow take all of our human efforts, mortal and vulnerable as they are, and will somehow weave them into His great, eternal purposes.
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Consider the story of the little boy who walks past a construction site where a couple of masons are hard at work. Fascinated by the rhythmic action, the boy calls out to the first mason: But beyond that, what is the work of our hands? We are writers and scholars, vocation and formation directors, administrators and parish priests, abbots and bishops, chaplains and spiritual directors, and, yes, even farmers, firefighters and woodworkers.
The work of our hands is as diverse as we are! But there is a commonality to all of this work: It is, or at least can be, a means to union with God and the building up of the human family. Rather, he awaits us in our every activity and in the work to be done. That, in turn, raises us to a higher experience of union with God, makes our work holy and enables us to become more fully human in the process.
Leisure, an essential aspect of our daily work, is also an element of successful pastoral ministry. Perspective and leisure are related. This capacity gives meaning when, otherwise, there might only be purpose. Leisure is, or should be, something that infuses all of our life and ministry, including those days when the work to be done seems endless.
He says that we need to learn a lesson from our heart, which has been beating nonstop since we were in the womb. Our heart has a work phase and a rest phase, and it is the perfect balance of the two that enables it to function effectively for years on end. When I was young, I remember hearing parishioners say: He never takes a day off.
If it were important for God to rest from the labor of creation, can it be any less important for us to rest from our labors? Have we ever considered that too much work and not enough time spent with others, including the Lord, could be a symptom of sloth? Brother Steindl-Rast also mentions that the Chinese ideogram for being overly busy is composed of two elements: That needs no explanation, does it?
It prevents us from making either an idol or an enemy of our work.
It helps us find balance in our work between fostering relationships and doing tasks. It scales back the poor motives we sometimes bring to our work — greed, acquisitiveness, laziness, entitlement, jealousy, the lust for power or control, selfish ambition, etc. It turns our work into a form of worship: It helps us see ourselves as stewards, not paupers or owners. It keeps us dependent on God for fresh energy, insight, endurance, motivation, creativity. It awakens and sustains thankfulness.
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It deepens our trust in God during seasons of vocational transition. Indeed, O Lord, establish the work of our hands.
The Work of Our Hands is a non-profit mission store, staffed by volunteers, which markets fair trade handcrafts made in developing countries. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands. New Living Translation And may the.
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