Work Is Both a Curse and a Blessing

I used to hate work. To work seemed like a waste of time, a necessary evil. And work is clearly a curse put on man by God as a consequence of man’s disobedience, as clearly explained in Genesis 17-19. But lately I’ve come to realize that it is more than that. Already in Genesis 19 there is a hint of the dual sided nature of the curse. That man shall eat his bread in his sweat. It’s not only that he shall sweat, but he shall still eat his bread. It was when I read Ecclesiastes once again that it finally dawned on me: One of the greatest and most pure pleasures in this life for a man is to eat his bread in his sweat, and it is a gift of God! The satisfaction of a work well done cannot be found anywhere else, and is an experience we share with the Creator himself as he rejoiced in his work of creation. I wanted to have all my time free to spend on leisure, but there is no meaning in leisure itself, unless it comes with the celebration of a work well done. I have struggled so hard to find the meaning in the output of the work and have fully disregarded the meaning of work itself. Now, the sweet spot is still that the work produces a meaningful outcome, but I was wrong to think that there is no meaning at all in the mere act of working. I feel like I have truly grasped an insight, and I feel like this will unlock so much in my life and in my mind. I no longer have to feel stressed about spending my time working hard, because it is truly one of the most valuable things a man can do, and it is not only sanctioned by God but a gift that he has given for us to cherish and enjoy. Wow. Bless the lord, my soul, for he has delivered you! He has given you joy once again and a new song to sing! I want to rejoice and be glad in the Lord and praise him for the wonderful things he has done! And he shall not give up on me, but rather finish the good work he has started in me. Never will he abandon me, no matter how dark my mind turns and how desperate I might feel. He is my rock and my shelter, my strong tower and my defender. And all the glory belongs to him.