There is a common human desire that is present in most people. I bet you feel it. You probably have felt it for a long time. We share the desire for our life’s work to have meaning.
None of us wants to go through life with a feeling of pointless in our activities. Rather, we desire purpose and fulfillment in the way we spend our time, money and energy. I’m not just talking solely about the jobs we do. It goes much deeper than that. Spend a moment and consider how you spend the majority of your time in your current life stage.
Are you spending most of your time raising kids? Teaching, bathing, feeding, repeat…
Are you spending most of your time climbing the career ladder? Pushing, striving, maneuvering your way up?
Have you had times where you have felt stuck in your career? Like you were just killing time?
However you spend your time, I bet you want your work to have purpose.
The people of the Bible wanted their lives to have meaning too.
At the end of Psalm 90 there is a beautiful declaration. The Hebrew is not entirely clear, so I offer a couple of helpful translations.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!
-New International Version
This verse captures the desire for God’s favor to rest on God’s people. According to the psalmist, what does God’s favor look like?
God’s favor is present in the prospering of their work.
Let me be clear: the psalmist is not connecting God’s favor with financial prosperity. This is not a “health and wealth” prosperity gospel text. Instead, the psalmist is asking God to give his life meaning by blessing the work he is involved in.
Here is another translation:
May the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!
-New International Version
And one more:
Let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!
-The Message
I love how Eugene Peterson puts it in this translation. We desire God to affirm the work that we do. Whatever you spend the majority of your time doing, seek God’s blessing in it. Ask God to give your life meaning and purpose in the ways you spend your time. As you begin to pray this prayer, you’ll notice a natural pull to the tasks and relationships that God wants you involved in. And may God affirm the work you do.
See you on Sunday for our Homecoming celebration! We will celebrate our 50 year members and our newest members. We will also remember those who have died this past year. Don’t forget to bring a side item for lunch!
-Pastor David
