Proverbs 18:9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

      Slothful! What a word to describe that person in the office who is never on time, or dependable, or even reliable for the basics. They seem to create more work then they accomplish. Then payday comes around and they are the first to complain that they are not paid enough for their special talents, whatever the talents are, and then threaten to quit. 
      We stand there hoping they follow through on the threat, but no, they don’t quit because they are a slothful person and would not be able to follow through on anything, even quitting their job. So, they go on looking busy and accomplishing nothing of value or ever able to find the place where they are being fulfilled with meaningful work. 
      The Lord wants our attitudes to be as though we work for God Himself. Eph. 6:6 Not with eye service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.
     There is a lot of dissatisfaction in the workplace today, because we have not seen the blessing of meaningful work in our lives. Work was ordained before the fall of man. Gen. 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Work is God’s idea for man. We were created to be creative and seek out the answers and understanding to life’s puzzles, queries, mysteries, and problems. Prov. 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 
      Part of the dissatisfaction within the human condition is when work becomes a drudgery. If we are working for money only, then it will not take long before the novelty of the new job will wear off and become as boring as the last job. Yes, we need money in this market economy to make a living, but we also need satisfaction of accomplishment. In most cases that cannot be bought. 
      Max Asnas said, “Money is something you got to make in case you don’t die.”  This would be funny if it were not the pathetic way we think about accomplishment and life. We are being driven by the enemy of our souls to constantly look at what we do not have and then buying stuff and lots of it. 
      We then realize that our job’s remuneration cannot support all the payments on the stuff bought, because the law of stuff is, “Stuff begets stuff.” So, we glare with disdain at our jobs and work environments with attitudes of fatalism, putting us in a place of complaining and ungratefulness. We then end up under the curse of labor. Gen. 3:19a In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. We surrender to working for a ruthless master whose name is “The Great Waster.” Francis Bacon said. “Money makes a good servant but a bad master.”
      Meaningful work will come out of a meaningful relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus. It might sound oversimplified, but the foundation of what I am saying is true. When I am at peace with Christ, I am at peace with most of the situations that arise at work and with the Lord’s help I can overcome what comes at me throughout the work week. 
      The joy of the Lord is our strength and that will enable us to take on the challenges, rather than cower away from them. Neh. 8:10b For this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him. 
      We can look back in our own personal Christian history and see that to the degree our walk and relationship with Christ was strong, so was our work ethic as strong. That is why when times got hard we went through the mess as others fell by the side in despair, and we still continue to tithe because the strength of our relationship in Christ was keeping everything from falling apart around us. 
      As some pastors like to say, “Our mess became a message, and our test became a testimony.” Isa. 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
     It does not matter what type of honest work we do. If we treat the work as a call from God, and do it well, it will manifest as meaningful work and bring fulfillment in our lives. Col. 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 
      When we are grateful for the work we have and take care of the work position as if it was the pearl of great price, then God will promote us and we will never be worried about being the brother to the great waster.