Psalms 127:1-2 NKJ
NLT: Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
> Our world seems fixated on overpaid sports figures, movie stars, and music performers. Too many times these are elevated to “hero” status and become looked upon as role models for our youth in spite of so many exhibiting lifestyles that are detrimental to character development… immoral…addictions…
We fail to recognize the true heroes in our world…the everyday heroes who are faithful to labor and support their families on a daily basis. Their job may not be the most entertaining or deemed “important” in the eyes of many, but they are willing to work so their family can be blessed and cared for. These are those who are not looking for a government handout but simply a chance to be productive and live a meaningful life. These are most of you here today...workers, business owners, and management personnel…everyday people, faithful to your family and holding to real values in life. To you, we salute, on this Labor Day weekend.
To you, I also share a warning: never allow your work or vocation to become your main focus in life. You can work and build a house but it is love that builds a home. A house is a wasted project if the Lord is not involved in the building of the family. A family requires time,…building loving relationships with one another.
Don’t use the excuse…I just want to spend “quality time”, not quantity of time…
All “time” that you put aside for family…your spouse…your children…is quality time. Don’t wait for the perfect situation to present itself, take time for one another and for building your relationship with Christ. Remember the words of the Psalmist: It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat, for God gives rest to his loved ones.
At the end of your life, it will not matter what kind of car you drove…or the house you lived in…or the clothes you wore. All that will matter is your relationship with others and with Christ.
At the same time, none of us care to see our labor be in vain…to be wasted without any lasting benefit. We desire our lives to count… we want to be successful…to be blessed.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NKJV
9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
This is the only mention of the man Jabez in the Bible!
Notice his name: “his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” > Jabez means: “He will cause pain!” Every time Jabez heard his name he was reminded of the pain he had caused his mother…and that he would be a person who would cause pain for others!
But Jabez would not allow his name to determine his life… he did not want his life to be wasted…to not count…for his labor to be in vain…He did not want his life to cause others pain… so he prayed to God… and God heard his prayer.
I believe that it is God’s desire to take that which is cursed in your life and make it a blessing…to take your failures and cause you to succeed. God desires your life to be filled with abundance…but too many times we put our trust in the wrong things…and think we can find abundant life apart from putting God first…
God’s Measure of Success is Different From the World’s View of Success
1. The world’s view of success is “in the abundance of the things we possess”…the car you drive…the boat you own…the house you live in…the position you hold…or the size of your bank account…It’s how cool you dress…how good you look…how much talent you have…etc.
2. God measures success by your relationship with Him and the fulfillment of His will for your life. His goal is not to make you comfortable…but to make you holy and righteous in every way…because He knows you will never experience abundant life outside of complete surrender to Him and to His will.
3. Jesus said, (Luke 12:15) “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Closing Thoughts: Many people today, like the rich man in Jesus’ parable, who put their trust in investments… for retirement…or to gain wealth and “financial security”… are finding out that their “security” is on sinking ground. What once seemed like a secure future has evaporated into thin air because of the economy
