What Are You Laboring For

With a touch of sarcasm Solomon speaks about the vanity, or the uselessness, of laboring all day long, when it’ll all be gone in the end. He said, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” (Ecclesiastes 5:15 NIV)

So he asks, “As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:16 NIV)

If all we do is work to gain wealth, then in the end there is no gain. Yes we’re able to pay the bills and take vacations, but what do we show for it.

Nothing. We came into this world naked and with nothing, and that’s the same way we’ll leave. They say you never see a U-Haul following a hearse.

So the question is, “Who or what are we laboring for?”

Joshua gives us his perspective as he challenged the people to choose whom they’ll serve and then said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b NKJV)

The Apostle Paul understood the only thing that’ll last beyond this life is what we do in the Lord’s service.

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-14 NKJV)

So what is the conclusion – Serve God!

While you work to make worldly ends meet, serve God so in the end you’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21 NKJV).