Despite what you hear about our leisure time, the average hours per week spent on the job has recently gone up in Rwanda. Companies are using existing employees more, instead of hiring more workers. Others are becoming what we call workaholics and are investing seventy, eighty or more hours a week in work. As a single man looking forward to getting married to a faithful pretty young woman, I have this strong belief that I have to work hard so that my dreams come true. But working hard to achieve that, can sometimes lead to burn out. Many times, it takes away joy and one ends up questioning any real purpose to it. I stay busy, so busy that I cannot seem to find any inner peace. But life itself becomes a bore, a drudge, a grind. King Solomon looked at all the labour he had done and concluded that it was useless. According to Solomon, there is no renewal in our labours. There is “no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). We are just going in circles and not getting anywhere. And, through it all, we are becoming more and more disgusted with our work in particular and with life in general. There is no remembrance of our work. In other words, who cares? We do not remember the things that the earlier generations did. And, the generations to come will not care what we gave our entire lives to accomplish. There is “no remembrance” (Ecclesiastes 1:11). So, when we get this way, what are we to do about it? Should we react like Solomon when he said “I hate life” (Ecclesiastes 2:17)? Of course not! We are not supposed to do that! God has not saved us to look at life as a dull, boring, intolerable existence. He has a purpose and a plan for us. With Him in our hearts, life has true meaning. Here are some practical, scriptural responses to the daily drudge. Treasure every minute Ephesians 5:16 tells us to be, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” We get used to routines and our habits take control. We stop living and begin to simply exist. Yet, God has created every moment to be lived for His sake and by His strength. We cheat ourselves and God when we allow our minds to be dulled to a semi-comatose existence. Accept each moment as a gift from God to be lived as would be most pleasing to Him. Count your days God uses the day as the main unit of time in service. He does not tell us to number our minutes or our years. The psalmist said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). If we will concentrate on giving our days to God, we will be blessed. Anything shorter and we will lose our focus. Anything longer and we give up because of failure. New Year’s resolutions fail because the first day we mess up the entire year is ruined. But days are God’s way. Each one ends with darkness and begins with a new dawn. Have you messed up today? Well…do the best you can to salvage it. Then, start all over again in the morning. Do it with all your might When life becomes a bore, we start operating on minimum effort. Have you ever walked into a supermarket or a restaurant and seen everyone operating on reserve battery. If life becomes a grind and work becomes a burden, then you will face it with less energy and drive. You will slow down. But this is not God’s will. We are to put all our effort into our endeavours. Ecclesiastes 9:10 states, ‘Whatsoever your hand got to do, do it with thy might.’ This life is short. Whatever you do, put everything you have into it. Pretty soon your focus will come back and the joys of honest labour will return. Do it as to the lord It is not enough that you do your best although that is important. You must also do it as if the Lord Himself were your Boss. After all, He is, isn’t He? Email -ntagu2005@yahoo.com
