We Work Hard for Our Money

We work hard for our money. All of our wages earned through the month of May each year goes to the payment of taxes at all levels of government from the local to the national. Americans are some of the most highly taxed people in the world. We work hard for our money.

Work is part of the fabric of our lives and we use it as a means of identifying who we are. If you ever hear a group of men talking to each other for the first time they usually get around to asking each other what they do for a living. Work becomes a way to identify who we are. If we become unemployed, our lives become a mess. Pressure comes to bear on the family and other relationships. Even if we don't do the right kind of work, we can become frustrated. Work and life go hand in hand.

In two weeks the American people will be going to the polls to elect a new president. I have spent a lot of time reading about the two candidates. One has had a public life for many years and it appears their are few new skeletons in the closet. The other candidate has had a very brief public life and has not been scrutinized by the main stream media to uncover any skeletons (which I believe they have avoided). Both are offering various tax cutting schemes that will effect the taxes we will be paying in the coming years and the amount of work we will have to perform to pay our tax bills. With the current financial crisis many will have to work way beyond their retirement in order to survive.

God's character is associated with work. God has been active in human history from the creation of Adam and Eve. 'All mankind will fear, they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.' (Psalm 64:9 NIV). The Psalmist tells us that men will tell the stories of God's acts which will cause them to worship Him. God is the God of history. His fingerprints are all over human history. He is in charge. The Psalmist's words remind us that our lives are under God's authority and control. It is God who is directing our circumstances.

As you march down the road of life in these trying times become aware of what God is doing in your life so that you can proclaim His works to others. Reflect on God's history with you. It is our life story being written from God's perspective. This raises an important question: Do you see your work as the hand of God written into your own history? Can you proclaim your work as God's action in your life? It's not about you, is it? Even work is about Him. Trust Him in the days ahead as He continues to write your life story. We work hard for our money.