I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13

This evening as I drove my oldest grandson home from his baseball practice, he asked one of those 11-year-old questions. – “Tell me about all the jobs you’ve had since you started working.” He listened patiently as I ran through some fifty years of work starting at my dad’s gas station when I was about 10 years old. I won’t bore you with the rest of the list, but there is value in the work we do, even in retirement.

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us of a few things about the work we do.

• We are to do good with our lives – no matter what it is that we are tasked with doing. As Paul reminded us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”(Colossians 3:23).
• The joy of work is a gift from God. I hear people talk about what they will (not) do in retirement, but it seems to me that there is always work to do and nothing is quite as satisfying as accomplishing a task whether you’re paid for the work or not.
• “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The preacher recognized the importance of taking pleasure in our work. The preacher tells us to “be joyful” and to “eat and drink and take pleasure” in our lives.

So, it’s Friday morning. How will you approach the rest of your day (and weekend)?