WORK & WORRY - by Kelvin Bueckert

Ecclesiastes 2:22-23(NIV) "What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless."


It is interesting to note that work and worry seem to go together. Consider these examples and the questions that they provoke...

Many people worry that they don't have enough to be happy. According to them, more friends, more labor, more fame, more fortune is the refreshment we need in this desert we call life. It is only after they get what they want, after they purchase that glittering gadget, after they reach that lofty goal, after they find the relationship they've always wanted, that they see how much more they want. So...they keep on running toward the next vision of easy glory that lurks just over the horizon. Only to be continually disappointed when what they hoped was an oasis turns into just another mirage of dust.


Question 1. How can something that will be proved meaningless in the course of history fill your life with meaning?

Yet, on the other end of the spectrum, there are people who are paralyzed by fear. They are so worried that they avoid trying to be...anything. Even though there is much valuable labor that could be done, they would rather not get involved with anything that might make them uncomfortable. Worrying about the future has worn them out and they have decided that it would be simpler to check out of the rat race and let the rats win. After all, why worry when you can distract yourself with hours of meaningless television, videogames, gossip, substances and various other amusements? Ironically, the long-term rewards of this type of self-centered lifestyle aren't any different from those who continually strive after more.


Question 2. Does the more you worry about meaningless things make them anymore worth worrying about?

There is much more that could be said about this subject but instead I will end this meditation with a couple of quotes from Jesus...

"So do not worry, saying what shall we eat? or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)


Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) 28. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."