According to Workaholics Anonymous, if you answer yes to three or more of the following questions, then you may be a workaholic.
- Do you get more excited about your work than about your family or anything else for that matter?
- Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
- Is work the activity you like best and talk about the most?
- Do you work more than 40 hours per week?
- Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
- Have your family and friends given up expecting you to be on time?
- Do you get impatient with other people who have different priorities other than work?
- Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going great?
- Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop your work in order to do something else?
- Have your long hours hurt your family and other relationships?
- Do you think about work when driving, falling asleep or when others or talking?
- Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?[1]
How about it? Did you answer “yes” to three of more of those questions? I did and I bet most of you did too. You know what that means don’t you? You are a workaholic or your life is centered around work in an unhealthy way. You are like Solomon who was to living for work, instead working for a living. Does that describe you?
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us about his attempt to fill his life with work. Let’s see what this brilliant king has to say about “work.”
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me…Ecclesiastes 2:17
Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I Will Find…
- My Life is filled with Despair
20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:20
I decided to look up the word despair to understand its full meaning, here is what the dictionary says, “Despair – to lose, give up, or be without hope[2]” That is a very strong word. I read this week that, “One third of Americans say, “I hate my job!” “Most suicides occur on Sunday nights.”
( “they must have heard a bad sermon!)
And most heart attacks occur on Monday nights![3]
Solomon offers us all a sobering warning; a warning that is especially timely for a generation and culture that considers work a god. In these short passages we are looking at today Solomon uses the word meaningless four times! He says work is overrated. Its blown way out of proportion. Solomon is really hammering home a point here. He wants us to know, in no uncertain terms, that choosing to make work the reason for living will leave us utterly empty and without hope.
Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I Will Find…
- My Inheritance is a Misfortune
21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. Ecclesiastes 2:21
Millions and millions of people are justifying their workaholic pace with an inheritance mindset. “I’m doing it for the kids. I want them to have access to things I never did. I want them to start their adult lives with things it took me years to attain. I don’t want them to work like I’ve had to work.”
Here’s a very blunt and surprising statement by Solomon. He says leaving your inheritance to someone who hasn’t worked for it is “great misfortune.” Get this, several translations like the King James and the New King James says it’s a “great evil” Maybe it’s evil because it causes quarreling, jealousy and fighting among family members over how the inheritance is split up. Often the splitting of an inheritance causes a splitting of the family! I have heard of horror stories of grabbing and fighting over an inheritance that has ruined otherwise happy families. I have already decided in advance, what is my parents is my parents, its theirs, I am not expecting anything. I want to work for what I have. In fact it seems warped to think about an inheritance to me because it would be like me hoping they would die so I could have it!
Maybe it’s evil because fosters a lazy, codependent lifestyle in our children. Maybe it’s evil because it fosters a love for money (1 Tim. 6:10). Maybe it’s evil because more times than not, inheritance is used to store up earthly possessions instead of heavenly treasures. Maybe it’s evil because in its most insidious form, it’s a lie. It’s a lie that tells us what our kids want from us is money. Yet, in reality, what our children want from us is our love, devotion, and time. Can you imagine spending the best years of your life working your fingers to the bone, missing ball games, dance recitals, the first bike ride so that you can give your son or daughter something they never wanted to begin with? What a tragedy!
Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I Will Find…
- My Mind and Body Cannot Rest
23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:23
Solomon says that the life lived for work will leave you restless. One of the sure fire signs that a person is filling his or her life with the fuel of work is how they sleep. Solomon guarantees you this; if you choose to fill your life with work, work, work, you’re not going to sleep well. And when you don’t sleep well, the results are significant. Sleep deprivation causes mental, physical, and emotional fatigue, decreased productivity, irritation, bad eating habits, severe mood swings, chemical dependence, etc.
Trying to work 7 days a week – no accomplishment in doing that
During the French Revolution they decided to do away with the Sabbath, the day of rest, it was so old fashioned! They found out the nation collapsed, even the horses were getting sick and giving out. We were not built to work 24-7.
OK…Solomon’s done, right? Unfortunately, there’s more he wants you to know. If I fill my life with work…
- My Motives are Wrong
4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4
According to Solomon, the drive of a workaholic is produced in the well of envy or wrong motives somewhere. Why are working overly busy and working ridiculously long hours? Because our neighbors have things we don’t have, but want. Solomon said that’s meaningless. It could be our motive is to be successful and we are motivated by a low self esteem. I know I feel low around others pastors if they have more people coming, more decisions being made in their churches. That’s tough to swallow. My motive shouldn’t be to look good, or look successful, my motive should be to serve God faithfully, working for Him. We will talk more about this in a moment. Our wrong motive for working so hard is we lack trust in God providing so we never stop as if it only depends on us.
For many of you here this morning, you know that Solomon’s words are true. You’ve been filling your life with work for years and years and years. You’ve viewed work as the king that will get you were you want to go. Yet…with all honesty, where has it taken you? Has work produced a happy, peace-filled, restful, content life for you? Or…has work produced stress, mounds of debt, anxiety, sleepless nights, moodiness, and regret? Here’s the bottom line for those of you that are living for work, you need a new perspective:
God created me to WORK for His purposes, not my agenda!
Lets look at God’s way, God’s plan for work or….
God’s Work Order
Before you walk in and give your two week notice. Before you chalk up work as evil. You need to understand
Work is Necessary
Here are a few absolutes about work from the Bible: God created us to work. Work was part of God’s plan BEFORE sin entered the world. It says, God works and is still working. Jesus worked. The Holy Spirit works. We ARE to work. Period.
In the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden when things were still perfect, it says,
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
There was work in a perfect world.
check out this verse
10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10
I think the another reason work is necessary besides the obvious one of providing our needs of food, shelter and clothing is that work represents our impact on the world. We can truly make a difference with our time here on the planet. We all seek meaning and purpose and to make a difference. Solomon’s greatest complaint was that work was meaningless. So for work to have greatest meaning it has to be about something bigger than ourselves. So if we can truly make a difference in what we do, who are we ultimately working for. The Bible tells us…
Work with all my Heart for Christ
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, whether its in sales, management, service, education, medical or whatever we should work hard and work for Christ. He is the audience. He is the one we seek to please and honor. When we work for Him we will work better. Michael Angelo the famed artist was asked to by the pope to paint the ceiling of a new church that was being built. The artist, Michael Angelo worked with all his heart, an observer wondered why he focused such attention on the details of the corners of the church. “No one will ever see them,” he commented. Michael Angelo’s reply? “God will.”[4]
7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…Ephesians 6:7-8
God did not create you just to seek your personal agenda with work. God created you to work for Him. Niki read a book by Max Lucado called “The Cure for the Common Life” it really parallels well to the things we are looking at in this series. In there is a quote that she read to me that I have to share, “Don’t waste years embellishing your own image. No disrespect but who needs to see your face? Who doesn’t need to see God’s face?”[5]
When the purpose of your work shifts away from a self-centered personal agenda and onto seeking to serve Christ, work will become a more fulfilling, more satisfying and contented experience. Will there be tough days on the job? You bet there will! Will there be days that you want quit? Absolutely! I had a few months of feeling this way this past year. Will there be days that produce exhaustion? Sure there will! But, with Christ or God’s glory as the object of your work, you will persevere and enjoy renewed since of peace, contentment, and satisfaction.
When the purpose of your work shifts away from a self-centered personal agenda and onto doing it for Him, guess what happens? You become a missionary instead of a consumer. You become the trumpet of God instead of a muted voice. You become salt and light instead of “one of the crowd.” You become the recipient of a heavenly inheritance that you will enjoy for eternity.
Work is a way that I Witness for Christ
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…2 Corinthians 5:20
We are ambassadors. The dictionary’s definition is, “Ambassador – a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative”[6] Have you ever though about that, you as a Christian are a diplomatic official of highest rank sent by the highest sovereign in the universe to represent Him, to point people to His ways. That is an incredible job description.
One Person I know that really gets this: my wife Niki, she is constantly inviting people she meets at work: co-workers and patients to church. We have had many of her patients come her. I tease her that she marks them. I can see the kinesio tape on them, or the cast or crutches.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
9 …For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests… As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
Besides all Christians being ambassadors and ministers, we are also called priests, our job is to represent God to other people. Notice what it says, “for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light As we close today perhaps you have been in the dark when it comes to work, you need to come into the light into a healthier view. You can commit today to seek to work for Christ, to work to point others to Him. Perhaps today you are ready to come into the light, maybe this restroom stall represents your spiritual condition. You are ready to invite Christ into your life to clean it, to forgive it, to bring light into the darkness of your soul. As we pray you can do that.
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Sources: [1] Taken from http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org/knowing.html.
[3] Cure for the Common Life, Max Lucado, pg 96
[4] The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John Maxwell, pg 16-18
[5] Cure for the Common Life, Max Lucado, pg 52
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