Men, have you ever been told any form of this statement? “You work too much!” Conversely, have you ever been told? “I appreciate your hard work!” I want to give a cheer to all the men who put in long hours on the job, whose employment puts them on the road away from their families and those who manage multiple jobs. You work hard. Sacrifice. In the end, you have provided for your family and have given a great example of a strong work ethic.
Our Creator gave Adam, the first man created, and every man three purposes. 1- He is to provide for his household. 2 – He is to be the leader of his home. 3 – He is to protect those under his care. These are hard-wired into his DNA. When a man fulfills these purposes it creates a feeling of satisfaction. When a man distorts or flatly shirks his duties it creates the feeling of a meaningless existence.
However, can a man work hard and still miss the mark? Yes! We were created to work, but within God-ordained boundaries of The Great Commandment. These boundaries teach men to love God and others. A man gets it right when through his work he honor’s God and serves others, no matter if he is a CEO or plumber. A man gets it wrong when he works and lives with a selfish ideology. Provision for the family becomes the pursuit of money, success or things. Leadership in the family is shifted to the spouse. Protective instincts become reversed, filtering situations through the grid of, “How will this impact me?”
When men put God and others (family) first, the balance between work and home will be reached. Jesus is the perfect example. He was a driven person who was the hardest working man to ever walk the planet. He once said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). Yet, as you read about His life, you can see His work was not about Himself, it was about others. No one ever told Jesus to slow down and cut back His hours. Why? Because He got it right. He worked to honor His Father (God) and to serve others. Consequently, everyone cheered Him on. To every man, blessings on you! May Jesus be your example and your hope for today.
