Tag Archives: to Subdue or suppress

Work is not a curse

Lots of people may find work  to be a curse. But work should not at all be a curse. Everything you do in life you should do with pleasure. Though we do agree that for the present generation that is not easy at all.

In the beginning, God created also work. Lots of people seem to forget that or do notice it. One of the first things we learn about how God made us is that he designed us for work.

“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28),

God said. And just so we didn’t miss his point, the author tells us,

“Jehovah, The Lord God, took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen. 2:15).

That we have to take care of the earth, most people have forgotten. They mostly misuse the earth. These days and in the coming years, we shall feel the consequences of how man mistreated mother earth.

Throughout the Scriptures we can read how people treated their surroundings.

God shows us that work is part of His perfect design for our lives and the Bible tells us that one day we shall be able to find the restored paradise.

In fact, work is as much of a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, and friendship. Sociological studies show that without meaningful work, people suffer emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The loss of work is harmful to us because God specifically designed us for work.

Our work helps us discover part of what it means to be a human made in the image of God. It also helps us understand our own abilities and gifts. Working also allows us to feel useful and get satisfaction for those things we manage to achieve. Moreover, work is one of the main ways that God uses us to bless other people. He designed the world so that our work benefits others.

If you think of all the things you own and use — from toothpaste to highways to clothing stores — you will see that you have been immensely blessed through the work of countless people. Work is such a wonderful thing!

But we can safely admit that a large majority of people are not so happy with the work they do. Work doesn’t always feel good.

In fact, polls show that seven out of ten people “hate” or “strongly dislike” their jobs.
Why is that?
Why do so many of us despise what God created us to do, and which God uses to bless the world?

You probably already know the answer. The problem is not with work, but with us, human beings. We are sinful, which is not just a description of our guilt before God. To say that we are sinful also means that our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions are backwards, upside-down, twisted, polluted, and every other word we might use to say that our hearts and minds and souls and bodies are just plain broken. We can find people on this earth who misuse other people or let other people work for them, those doing all the work not gaining as much as the one who let the others work. In many companies, there is inequality between employers and workers. A lot of people are exploited and have to work at a pittance while the employer manages to line his pockets with the much-earned money on the backs of those workers.

On May 1, Labour Day, those relationships between employer and employee are discussed in many places. It is a day to think about the work that does need to be done.

Each of us bears responsibility for the work that belongs on this globe. Provision must be made that everyone can eat and sleep well, but that none of this happens by overburdening nature, through overfishing or overhunting, for example.

If everyone showed respect to the person, plant and animal around him or her, there would be no reason at all to be displeased for what one can do to advance the other as well as oneself.

Each time that our jobs seem stressful, difficult, taxing, boring, un-fun, hard, etc., we ought to remember why this is the case. How was it possible that it could come so far. Who or what is the cause of the burden of work.

For those who misuse other people, we should talk to them and try to bring them to other ideas.

If we know that goods are produced under poor conditions or made by child labour and/or at too low a wage, we should certainly not buy them in order to stop exploitation. As long as consumers choose the cheapest goods, they contribute to the exploitation of people and make themselves sinful according to the Laws of God.

We ourselves when we look for work, we must always check whether the work is responsible and whether the employer also gives his workforce the necessary respect. Someone who cannot show appreciation for the people who help him earn a living is not worth being helped. So, it is up to us first and foremost to do the right work so that we can make or accomplish worthy things under worthy conditions.

It is also notable how certain people have started to shift emphases in their lives. By focusing largely on accumulating as much material gain as possible, they have lost sight of the real values of life. As a result, work can sometimes be harder than it should be. Their materialism then kills them.

We should remember that no honest job is too hard, too insignificant, or too boring if done for the glory of God and for serving His son. That is why Paul exhorts us,

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:23-24).

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Preceding

The Necessity of Rest

Believe me! Everything is Possible

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Find also to read

  1. Man enticed to long for more
  2. Begin by carrying away small stones to remove a mountain
  3. A look at materialism
  4. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #8 Work
  5. I want to get paid for changing diapers, but i don’t want to run a day care
  6. Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief
  7. How do you keep people from stealing your joy?
  8. A treasure which can give me everything I need
  9. A look at materialism
  10. a Strong Family doesn’t just happen
  11. Work and career a major focus of young adulthood
  12. Brilliant.
  13. A risk taking society
  14. Jehovah shall make the earth waste and turn its ground up-side-down
  15. Today’s thought “Bible Tip for Life: Work Hard!” (November 20)
  16. Today’s thought “I know your works” (December 22)
  17. Do we have to be an anarchist to react
  18. Finding our identity in serving God
  19. The work I do, let it be done good
  20. Work with joy and pray with love
  21. Your New Job Description — Bless!
  22. God should be your hope
  23. God make us holy
  24. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies
  25. A way to prepare for the Kingdom
  26. Paradise restored

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Related

  1. Is that all there is?
  2. Common But Misaligned
  3. Why Must We All Follow One Definition Of Success?
  4. Respecting Ourselves
  5. ’tis the Season To Think Clearly
  6. “…Drop your weapons of greed and gluttony …for when you do, peace
  7. Workers’ Day Celebration: Plight of informal and domestic workers
  8. Government Withdraws Permission For Workers To Hold May Day
  9. May Day Celebration: Eagle Square remains sacrosanct — FG
  10. May Day: Ortom commends Benue workers for remaining undaunted
  11. Workers Day: Obaseki Hails Workers, Lists Promises
  12. Cosatu encourages workers to march on Workers Day
  13. May Day: Keep the flag flying, Oborevwori tells Nigerian workers
  14. Servants sewed from morning until night
  15. May Day: It’s been terrible, excruciating for workers — NLC
  16. May Day: Peter Obi Sends Message To Nigerian Workers
  17. International Labor Day – 2023 Sona Yukti thanks every brave person
  18. International Labor Day – 2023
  19. ‘Treat workers with respect’: CAN urges FG and employers on May day
  20. Happy Workers’ Day –From Complete Sports
  21. The History and Significance of Malta’s 1st May Public Holiday
  22. NAOSNP Hails Workers on International Workers’ Day
  23. International Labor Day – 2023
  24. Worker’s Day Honour Today we honor all of the #Workers in our Country
  25. Workers Day: Obasa Praises Nigerian Workers, Urges Increased Support
  26. Praying to find meaning of life in our work
  27. Workers’ Day
  28. Different stages of work
  29. We must continue the historic work of reducing working time
  30. Monday Morning Wake-Up Call
  31. Rethinking the relationship to work is ultimately all that matters!
  32. Fire At Will
  33. 5 Important Purpose-Driven Questions
  34. Human Being, Not Human Doing

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Filed under Ecological affairs, Food, Health affairs, Lifestyle, Nature, Religious affairs, Welfare matters

112314 – A Peculiar People

In Belgium lots of protests are going on against the measures taken by the government, bringing all burden onto the less earning people while the rich are saved and do not have to contribute to the economical crisis, have lower taxes than most people and even have companies or CEO’s not having to pay taxes.
In other countries battles on the streets are delivered or for the injustice which is done on social or juridical matters.

Some may think Christians may not higher their voice and have to let everything happen. But you can also wonder if a Christian does not have to come up for those who have no voice, like animals and plants and for those who are done injustice.

In certain states, like the United States of America, the injustice of treatment, the in-equality of race, and certain political decisions are used to create scenes of rioting, looting, and burning private and public properties. This is totally against the Law of God. Also a few weeks ago in Belgium some fighters used the national march against the government to make hammock and damage a lot of private goods and to seriously wound many cops. They misused and disordered the otherwise peaceful march.
The way we want to react to those “protestors” blocking roads and impeding the flow of traffic of travellers, who have no connection with the cause for which the protesters, aka anarchists, are mounting in their charge against decency, is important and gives the other person an opportunity to show other ways to get justice and to get the voice of the people resounding.
There may be people who do not like it that there are also “people who have decided to make a statement for their cause by lying down on department store floors and interfering with people who just wanted to buy some goods at those stores.” Those who object we have to ask what their reason of objection is. Often we hear selfish reasons, like that they can not get where they want to be in the time they want to be. Or that they are hindered because they can not get what they want. when they react to the protesters, not showing empathy for their cause, they often show their own selfishness and their exclusion for coming to understanding for what the protesters want to give a voice.

Both parties can be doing the wrong thing. Both parties can go much to far in their reaction against the other.

In such turmoil the true inner side of a person can come unto the surface. In such occasions where people feel their frustration can not receive a valve of expression, they can go much too far and loose all boundaries of respect and decency.
It is in such instances a Christian has to be careful not to chose the wrong site or not to give the impression he does not want to do with it at all.

It may be true that in certain cases (not all) some may consider this “peculiar” to relate to “such unlawful actions”. Some might also think it are only anarchists who are “truly odd and strange in the way that they go about life”. They seem to forget that lots of human beings do strange things and more than once go out of the boundaries of the “normal”.

Of course, the word “peculiar” can find its way into biblical scripture, like “the Jews were said to be a peculiar people because they were chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world (Deuteronomy 14:2). Those of us who have come to saving faith through Jesus, the Messiah, are also said to be “peculiar” people.”

Certainly today those following the Laws of God are called peculiar or weird figures. Often they are considered to be fools, believing in fairy tales.

Jesus even told his followers it would not be easy for those who wanted to follow him, and that they would be shunned and would be hated in different circles, even in the family they would find members who would oppose them.
Those who show the outside world that they love God and have chosen to follow His son’s ways, are ridiculed, but know that they should not worry so much. They know they should fear God and not the human beings. But that does not mean they just do have to let everything happen what other human beings decide. We always should show our praise for God and His Creation. As such we shall have to show the world our respect for that creation and should make others aware of the value of that creation which we are allowed to use, but may not try to destroy. So, we do have to take care of mother earth and also do have to come up for it. We can not allow others to continuously rob it and destroy the life chances of animals, plants but also for other human beings. Therefore contrary many Christians may think, we should give a voice to the ones who do not seem to have a voice or who are pushed in the corner.

We, as believers in Christ, may also appear to the anarchists as being “odd” and “strange” because we don’t embrace their methods of “bringing about change” in our nation, but we can show to them other ways to demonstrate peacefully and to use other ways to give a voice for the right cause in righteousness.

Not reacting at all can give opportunities to silence the democratic system and to have other human beings using their power to oppress others. We should give dictatorship and oppression no chance. We also should avoid that others get the means, like weapons to oppress others.

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Of interest:

  1. Voice for the plebs
  2. The Y generation in conflict with itself
  3. To Work Longer or Die Younger
  4. Depression Economics and Paul Krugman
  5. Anti-Crisis anger calling out
  6. Ability for a community to come back from a crisis
  7. Violence or an other way to win
  8. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
  9. Shame on American police
  10. A dangereous way of censorship
  11. Democratic downfall
  12. Censor looming around the UK corner?
  13. Internet absurdities
  14. The Protester named Person of the Year 2011 by Time Magazine
  15. Catherine Ashton on the EU annual report on human rights
  16. Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America at war
  17. Ukrainians should be free to shape the future of their country
  18. Person of the year
  19. Journal for and from bothered citizens
  20. Re-Creating Community
  21. Chinese Village in Revolt
  22. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protesters Gain Strength
  23. Busting Protesters, not Bankers
  24. UK Protesters Charged as Organized Criminals
  25. Thai Court Sides with Protesters

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  • Are you looking? (hopeofglory.typepad.com)
    This one nation under God has experienced a losing of itself under its present “leadership”. Focused on things not familiar orpreviously welcomed in this United States of America, these things have allowed many to lose their way.Believers associate this loss with a turning away from God. It’s a judgment of sorts on the abandoning of God and country, morality and responsibility, faith and respect. A sad commentary on the ease with which some will forfeit independence for dependence, goodness for wickedness, apology for justification. None of it typical of the America we used to know and love.
  • Calmness is Settling in Over Ferguson (fggam.org)
    We continue to be in constant prayer for Ferguson and the United States of America, America, Bless God!
  • Boko Haram: Nigeria berates US over ‘no weapon deal’ (sundiatapost.com)
    Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye has chided the United States of America for refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria to effectively contain the Islamic insurgency in Northern Nigeria.
    He said the war against the insurgency would have been won long ago, had the US agreed to sell weapons to Nigerian government.
  • Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 (wdeaver.wordpress.com)
    Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
  • The Constitution of the United States of America, 19th Amendment (nesaranetwork.com)
    The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Eternity's avatarEternity

Psalm 8 King James Version (KJV)

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts…

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Ecological affairs, Economical affairs, Juridical matters, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Social affairs, World affairs