All Work Is Good And Honorable

Find a job, go to work, and earn money, for all work is good and honorable. I heard that many times as I was growing up. Now, driving through town I see signs, “Worker Wanted”. Too many are “looking for a position”, not for work. Solomon said, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6).
Next time you see ants, don’t call the exterminator, and just pull up a chair and watch. They are all working and seem to be in a hurry. They touch each other as they pass by. They move objects that are a hundred times bigger that they are. They are on a mission. They are working. They are taking responsibility for themselves and providing for days to come.
Do you have grown ‘children’ at home that are not working? Tell them that beginning next month they will be required to pay ‘X-dollars’ for their room and board. Their cry will be pitiful. “I’ll have to go to work” will be the immediate response. The apostle Paul wrote “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, and if any would not work, neither should he eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10). All work is good and honorable!
When we visited the Middle East, we had an occasion to meet the Dromedary Camel. They are unique for they can go a long time without water. They kneel when you mount them and we enjoyed the experience. Camels can eat just about anything. Their mouth is so tough they can include in their diet thorny cactus, rope, leather, shoes, etc. The big ‘hump’ weighs about 80 pounds and is filled with fat – not water. As the camel’s body draws fuel from the hump it shrinks. When food is available it will grow back to its normal size.
A camel’s capacity for water is incredible. They have been known to drink 30 gallons of water in 15 minutes. The water is processed so quickly that within ten minutes after drinking, there is none left in the stomach. It is stored in the flesh of the animal. They can carry a four hundred pound load a hundred miles across the desert and go eight days without food or water. Camels may appear to be very ugly, but they are incredibly designed to be the “Ship of the Desert” and their design speaks eloquently of the designer.
“The camel at the close of day, kneels down upon the sandy plain, To have his burdens lifted off – and rest to gain. My soul, thou too upon thy knees, when daylight draweth to a close, and let thy Master ease thy load – and grant repose.”
“Else how can thy tomorrow meet, with all the heavy work to do, if thou thy burden all the night – dost carry thru. The camel kneels at break of day; to have his guide replace his load… then riseth up again to take the desert road.”
The ant is small and the camel is huge and both carry a great message that all work is good and honorable.
There was a heavy knock on the door. “Get up. You have to go to school!” “I’m not going to school.” “Get out of bed and get ready! You’ve got to go to school!” “I don’t want to go to school. I hate the kids and they hate me. Just give me one reason why I should go!” “You’re the principal – now get up and get ready.”
With all do respect to principals (Our grandson is one); there are times when we need to see in our mind the ant at his work and the camel on his knees. Police put their lives on the line every day. It’s not a job to them – it’s a life. The fireman waits for the bell to ring. He too, stands ready to enter flames that have filled a home or building to rescue life. The time-clock is not important; what they do is.
Doctors, dentists, and most all professions work not by the clock but for what they know. They have given their life in years of study and preparation. The surgeon may spend little time in the operating room, but what would you do without him when you need him?
When young folks carry my groceries and place them in the trunk of the car, I always ask them, “Are you going to college?” Most of them reply in the positive with a smile. I hand them a small bill and say, “This is for your college fund.” As they shut the truck I add, “If you don’t graduate with honors, I will be disappointed in you.”
The more you prepare, the higher the level of service. The higher the service- the greater the compensation – not for your time but for what you know. All work is good and respectable but positions are earned – not just in time, but for how you have prepared to serve.
Be loyal to the “house” you serve in. They put food on your table and pay you’re bills and give you a reason to get up in the morning.
My mother always said, “Jack, there is always room for a worker”.

 

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