“Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Eccles. 9:9-10)

With these words the wise man describes the purpose of man’s labor in this life. How do we enjoy the things this life has to offer? It is by working for them. It is our portion “under the sun”, our “portion in this life.” It is for this reason that whatsoever we find to do in this life, we ought to do it with all our might. We should do it “heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col. 3:23).

We all know the good feeling we have when we work for something and then obtain it. This good feeling only comes when we want something and we can’t have it immediately. It is something for which we must sacrifice our time and our energy. When we have planned for it, and worked for it, then, when we finally obtain it, we enjoy it that much more because we know the value of it. When we work for something, we virtually put a lot of ourselves into it. This gives us an earned portion in it.

The Bible is clear: God created man to work. God placed man in the garden of Eden to “dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15). It is only when we work honestly that we truly experience increase (Proverbs 13:11). That we can enjoy the fruits of our labor is a gift from God (Eccl. 3:13). Those who refuse to labor, die (Prov. 21:25). We must not gain material possessions by stealing, but by laboring for the things we want (Eph. 4:28).

However, we must realize that laboring for material things has its limits. It only serves to satisfy our physical wants and desires. Jesus warned us not to labor for “the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you” (John 6:27). We must labor in spiritual things in order to enter into the rest the Lord has promised (Heb. 4:11). God knows our works (Rev. 2:2) and will not forget them in judgement (Heb. 6:10). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58).

Eric L. Padgett