And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry." But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:19-21
This is a parable Jesus told about a rich man who was 'very productive' and decided to gather and store all his earthly treasures to enjoy them after he finished working. The point Jesus is making is that our days our numbered, so we must focus on Him, not on temporal things. We are called fools to spend our lives working for ourselves to gather up treasures and financial security.
I don't think our culture realizes how relevant this parable is to us today.
I already decided a long time ago that I would make sure to do what I loved for work because doing something that provides a big check at the expense of doing something not enjoyable can backfire. It will wear one out and by the time they retire, they cannot enjoy life because they are burnt out. In addition, we must watch why we work. Although doing what's 'financially stable' instead of the thing you're passionate about can sometimes be wise, most of the time it comes from a heart that does not trust God to provide. People forget that passions are given by God for His glory. When work is done out of pure duty, it can be wearisome for the soul. Granted, work is not all joyous because sin entered the world, but I truly believe God can be glorified in it.
Motive is everything. Work all for the glory of God, not man (Colossians 3:23-24). We need to constantly check where our heart is in doing things. Why are we in school? Why do we have the job we do? Are we doing it in excellence or just for the paycheck? Where are our passions involved?
We also must remember that work is not everything. Of course, work is a necessary part of life. But it is not all of life. Americans often forget that we do not work to live and live to work. We live to love God and others. Work is only a mere portion of life. If you spend your life working to get to the top, what have you accomplished? None of it will matter after this life. It will fade away.
However, if you are working unto God and His Kingdom, how much fuller will life be? Remember His Kingdom first. Check how much time you spend in various activities throughout the day. Is it all going to storing up earthly riches and security? Is it to be the top in your class, to get the internship, to be promoted all for your own glory? Or are you content where God has placed you enjoying the blessings of family and friends?
There is a point when you work too hard. It is when you lost sight of the big picture of why we are here and try to gain for yourself. Stop it and look long-term. What do you want to be faithfully doing if Christ were to return today? Do you trust Him to take care of you even if your job doesn't have the paycheck?
For me, I have to constantly remind myself that I am not here in college for the degree even though that's what many people seem to believe. I am anywhere because God is going to grow my character to love Him and others more. I seek first His kingdom and then I attend to my grades to honor God (not myself) with them.
