At Gateway Church in Austin, we began our series Freebird: Live Free. Work Free.
In Austin, find a Freebird Small Group here.
Apply what you learn with these Next Steps.
You can listen to the message Rick Shurtz shared at Gateway South here:
You can watch the message John Burke shared at our McNeil Campus at www.gatewaychurch.com/podcast.
Here are notes from yesterday’s message:
“Do you like your life?
We find this spectrum between doing what we have to do vs. doing what we want to do.
It’s hard to do the things that are important when our jobs
70% of Americans are no engaged or actively not engaged at work.
From 1987 to 2013, job satisfaction has dropped from 61% to 47%. Consider all the technological advancement during this same timeframe! Even that has not helped.
Work disillusionment – our jobs don’t bring satisfaction
“What do workers gain from their toil?” – Ecclesiastes 3:9
So how do we deal with this? How does our spiritual life help us in this?
First, does God even value pleasure?
Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s journal on his search for meaning.
Eccl. 2:4-6, 8, 10 shows us how Solomon viewed his work and wealth.
Solomon’s conclusion in his journey was this:
“So I commend enjoyment in life….” Eccl. 8:15
Some us need to stay with where we are. We haven’t been patient enough to get to where we want to be.
“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” – Proverbs 12:11
“Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” – Proverbs 12:24
Often the Scriptures point towards this: “one long pull in the same direction.”
We need to enjoy our work, but also remember that pleasure is fleeting. It’s a good thing but not everything!
Law of diminishing returns.
Even the greatest job still doesn’t meet our deepest need for pleasure which can only be met in our relationship with God.
“What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart….” – Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 NIV
“The eternal God is our refuge….” – Deuteronomy 33:27
“… set your hope in the grace to be brought to you through Jesus….” 1 Peter 1:13
When we put all of our hope in a job or ski trips or even in people or in anything that temporary, we will find ourselves constantly disappointed.
Our eternal longings are only met in an eternal God.
When we live this way, we can let go rather than hold on with a white knuckle grip. We can enjoy it for what it is rather than hating it for what it isn’t.
All things that are temporary are something, but there is only one Everything – the One who created us.”
