From Sunday to Sunday . . .

[Gesetveemet]

.


Both my wife and I are around threescore years old. We have a very blessed life as
we live before an ever good doing Lord. Yet it seems to me as if time is going so fast
and that I only live from Lords day to Lords day also there is little change in my walk
here below. Is anyone on this board experiencing this? Do I regard this as just the
vanity of life or is there something that I need to consider?

Thank you,


.

 

[earl40]

I believe this is a good thing in that I know as I age I realize many things of this world are simply vanity. Have your wife want to spend thousands for a remodel of your house at your age and see if you feel the same as I do about that. LOL

 

[Gesetveemet]

Thanks Earl, yes nothing really satisfies here below. I just worked for about a month digging a garden
and making a base for a shed it all came out well yet the Lord causes even our plants to grow my
hope is that I may obtain some growth also.

Blessed Lords day,
William

 

[johnny]

I sometimes feel like this as well,

We have no holidays in our work place and Saturdays are taken up with house chores and maintenance.

Sunday's are great though, we stay at church all day, have a fellowship lunch, sing psalms, do the catechisms with the children and discuss world events and Theology. The time flies but we are finished by around 4.30pm which gives us some time to come home and chill.

So yes it does feel like we live from Lord's day to Lord's day.

 

[Jack K]

What sort of work are you engaged in, during the week, that advances the cause of Christ or cares for the needy? Sundays are great, but a man who loves the King will quickly tire of life if he finds no way to serve the King.

 

[earl40]

What sort of work are you engaged in, during the week, that advances the cause of Christ or cares for the needy? Sundays are great, but a man who loves the King will quickly tire of life if he finds no way to serve the King.

May I add that there is no such thing as employment in this world that does not serve Jesus if that employment is done in faith and is permitted by Christian prudence . I learned this from my mother when we were having a conversation one day and I said "I don't want to be a factory worker who wraps up Snicker Bars all day long". She replied "Their is nothing wrong with making candy all day long". I have thought about this conversation for many years and have come to a few conclusions that were proven to me over the years AKA as "experiential discipleship".

#1. I generally rather be around a candy bar factory worker, hotel maid, garbage worker, or others who are lowly in their station in life because a large percentage of these type of people not only have a stronger faith but also a large percentage of these people have faith to begin with, as compared to others who have a higher station in this world who lack faith altogether.

#2. I have learned that whatever we do or find ourselves in we ought to do this wholly for His glory.

#3. I have learned that when a maid makes up a bed with skill and precision she is proclaiming the "cause" of Christ even when she is not telling the hotel guest about Jesus. I can not tell you how a large percentage of maids LOVE Jesus as compared to the many doctors and nurses I work with at the hospital.

#4. I am blessed, and humbled, to be a person who is able to help the needy while they are in the hospital, and most of the people who I am able to perform my menial task towards are those that think their job is not in direct service to The King. I am glad and privileged to encourage them that they are if they have faith and the work is under Christian prudence.

Jack I write the above knowing you also believe such BUT want to empathize that all our work we do during the week is NOT the same work Our Pastors do on Sunday.

 

[Jack K]

Of course, Earl, I agree. All work should be done to God's glory and is good work, pleasing to him. And we are not all called to pastoral ministry.

I will add that it can be hazardous for a person who feels stagnant towards God to try to fix that by getting to work, possibly creating an artificial sense of growth by doing something that feels particularly spiritual. So "do something for God" often is not a helpful prescription.

Yet I think the question of how we use our time purposefully, for Christ's kingdom and to show his love, is worth asking, especially in a society that affords us much free time. The challenges of loving our neighbors and serving the church do often draw us closer to God, so sometimes it helps to examine that part of life.

 

[johnny]

Caveat: About to talk in sweeping generalisations.

As a child of the seventies, I grew up in jobs with 40 hour weeks and 4 weeks off a year.

This is not common anymore in Australia as many of us now work permanent causal with little job security.
There are no holidays, work is from week to week, you are often expected to cover many areas in your job which doesn't allow you the time to master one thing and do it well. So a job in the seventies done by two people is now expected to be done by one person and in half the time.

My wife is Japanese and in Japan the wages for the service industry are much lower, so the Japanese work longer hours but there are more people hired and I often see staff standing in one place, composed and ready to help should you ask. I even see workers in hotels who stand next to doors and sweep the entranceway all day so it's spotless. Most service stations have three driveway (often five) attendants who wash and wipe your car while they fill it up. (Just like the old days before self service)

I do agree with the comments that we should treat our work as a blessing from God and I am happy in my job, but it is pretty relentless and not like the work I used to do way back when life seemed less hectic and you had time to plan holidays and go away on a vacation and things of that nature.

I am not complaining, it's just changed...