Today's daily devotion

Labor of Love

Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching the clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end.—ECCLESIASTES 11:6 MSG

Have you ever had a job where the work was so routine that you were bored, watching the clock, willing the shift to end so you could get on with something you really enjoyed? Or maybe your job demanded so much of you physically, mentally, or emotionally that when you returned home, you wanted nothing more than to put out a large Do Not Disturb sign and “veg out” for the evening. Or perhaps you found yourself counting the days until retirement.

Caring for a special-needs child or adult can become tedious if we look at it as a necessary chore instead of a ministry blessed by God. A terminally ill loved one who needs around-the-clock care can be a drain on our resources, and we may find ourselves wishing the ordeal would soon end.

God says that any job, any ministry, is profitable. Don’t look at the clock, wishing the time away. If you are too exhausted to reach out with God’s love for others, then reevaluate what the Lord would have you do in service for Him. But don’t hold out on serving Him because you are too “tired.” He gave us His all because of His love. Respond in love for Him and give your all, showing His love to others.