At Work

On the seventh day, God rested.

But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ - John 5:17

You would think that once God rested after creating the world and all that is in it, He would be done creating, but what if that was only the beginning?

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus says his father is still at work, and so is he.

Now it is easy to believe that God's only son would be at work in the world, since we see Jesus as divine, and thus capable of performing miracles.  But what about all the rest of God's children?

Jesus taught us to pray to God as our father, too, so doesn't that make us all His children?

So, perhaps the work Jesus was doing to further Creation, is not completed, but ours to do as well?

If we look at all the things we do each day as God's work and not ours, it changes everything, doesn't it?  It gives the work purpose and meaning beyond what we would attribute to it.

The obvious good that we do when we create work for people is to provide jobs that help people get out of poverty, so they can live and support their families.

But what if we judge all work on another level as well, looking at what we create and how it helps God's plan?

How are we doing with that?

Do the things we make and the activities we engage in help us show our love for one another as Jesus commanded? 

If we accept this creative approach as our benchmark against which all we do is measured, how would we do?  And would we stop doing some things we find enjoyable?

If the Kingdom of God is something we are in the process of building or creating with God, here and now, on earth, how solid is our design, our structure.  And what will be the final product?

Each day we head out to work, we have the potential to make the world a better place for someone other than ourselves, and that is the amazing thing about the process of creation.  We can make it happen.

So what are you going to create for someone today?  And how will you sum up the day tonight?  Will you look at your day and say it was Good?

More to come...