Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Friday 6/5/10)

Today’s Devotional Written By One Who Works Hard For Her Money, and Her God:

Tracy Koweh

I Work Hard for the Money

Hebrews 6:9-10 (New Living Translation)

⁹ Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers,^[a] as you still do.

Last month Shane and I had a very interesting conversation about the amount of faith, energy and dedication people put into their job, simply because of their paycheck. It all started after a very very long day, and I joked with Shane that I was ready for my foot massage. He snapped back no, and then I said "Had your boss called and said you had to do it, you would." Now although we were joking with each other, it opened up the door to a very deep conversation. Why do we show up early, stay late, work extra hours, go to work sick and give our all to our jobs, but we call out sick on Sunday morning if our head hurts, we steal Gods tithe to go to a concert or pay a bill, ,we get to church late and leave before the benediction? The answer is simple, the love of money.

We have allowed our focus to be for my job I'll live and for my job I'll die. We claim Jesus is our source but we trust in man to provide our resources. Promotion and status in this world is a great thing, but when we lose sight that it’s from the King of kings and the Lord of lords, it can all be taken away from us, no matter how great we are in and to the world. God ordained Himself first, spouse/family (if single) second and then job, but we've lost sight of this. Our children watch us spend hours at night working on job related stuff, but they can't get thirty minutes of our time to hang out. Our spouses watch us exhaust everything we have for a boss we can't stand, but the thought of staying up to watch a late night show together is too much to ask.

Now, as sad as these truths are, it’s even sadder that we treat God the same way, because we have not realized He is truly the head of Human Resources. He has the ultimate say in hiring, firing, raises and promotions. We tell God He is our everything, but we bail out on Him the second our job calls on us, we have a crisis, or our bodies give out. We have decided that the office with the window in the corner of the hallway is our goal in life, and that once we get it, we have arrived.

As we prepare to enter into the weekend, let us double check our priorities and where our loyalties truly lie. Let us not value the things of the world, more than the things of the Kingdom. Let us not give more of our time, finances and energy to man than we give to God. Let us not slap God in the face by fearing man or losing a paycheck more than fearing His wrath. Today let us determine in our minds that we will give a little bit more, pray a little bit longer, read our Word a little bit more and show God without a doubt that He is first over everything and everyone………..that He is truly the head of our life, and that for Him we live, and for Him we will die. Let's start today to work hard for our God!!!