The Blessings of Old Fashioned Work ~ Part One

"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease,

but the doctrine of the strenuous life."

~Theodore Roosevelt

Will you hear a quote like this from modern day man? The feeling one gets from today's society is that work is to be scorned. It is something we should try to avoid. We are taught instead to embrace a lifestyle of as much play as possible.

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

~ Ephesians 4:28

The Bible teaches a completely different doctrine. It teaches that man was meant to work till the sweat of his brow. It teaches that we are not to eat the bread of idleness. And most importantly, it teaches that when we do work, we should do it as unto the Lord.

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

~ 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Our family has found it important to teach the doctrine of a work-filled life. After all, the life of a Christian is one where we are to pick up a cross. That is anything but easy. 

When we embrace our work for the day, know that it is expected of us, we won't be disappointed or disillusioned by our lot in life. The key is to realize the blessings it brings. And there is blessings!

“Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction.”

~ Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

There is great accomplishment in the completion of a task. To see a stack of firewood which you prepared for the winter brings a definite delight. It may not be a promised vacation but it is a promised warmth that brings you joy. A cultivated garden brings satisfaction that a purchase from the produce department will never give. A freshly mowed lawn rewards you with a beautiful view from your kitchen window. When one looks at work from this point of view, it is a blessing. 

“God has so arranged the world that work is necessary, and He gives us hands and strength to do it. The enjoyment of leisure would be nothing if we had only leisure. It is the joy of work well done that enables us to enjoy rest, just as it is the experiences of hunger and thirst that make food and drink such pleasures.” 

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Discipline: The Glad Surrender

Work may look different in each of our households. Some live in the city, some on ranches and farms, but there is always a task that needs doing wherever you reside. Perhaps your season is one with small children. That is truly a job worth investing in! You are training future workers of God. For others, it may be a skirt that needs mending (instead of purchasing new), sometimes it is produce that needs preserving, other times it is to clean and organize that house of ours until it sparkles and shines. But in all of these moments, it is a blessing to be industrious, a blessing to do "old fashioned work" because "in all labour there is profit" (Proverbs 14:23a). Let's embrace our work ladies!

“No man needs sympathy because he has to work, because he has a burden to carry. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Note: When this author is speaking of work, she is not suggesting the "workaholic" person who has a cell phone attached to their ear and an electronic device glued to their eyes. She is speaking of old fashioned labor. The kind that makes one move or sweat, the kind it takes to raise a family.

{See part one , part two, part three, part four and part five of this series.}

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