Are you making your soul a priority?

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For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  --Mark 8:36 Did you know that you can neglect your soul to the point that you can lose it? That’s exactly what Jesus is saying in today’s verse. Every day, people make other things higher priorities than their souls. Some people are fixated on their physical condition, and they go to great lengths to exercise and eat right. Yet they do little to maintain the health of their soul.   Then there are others who focus on developing their minds. They pursue and often attain the highest levels of education, but in the process they fail to expand and enrich their soul’s relationship with God. And of course, there are others who get caught up in wealth. They’re the kind of people who make business deals all day long, but they fail to do business with their soul. Perhaps today you’d admit that you’ve been putting other things… even good things… ahead of your soul, which is destined for eternity. If so, remember this is serious business. It’s time to do business with your soul! YOUR SOUL IS DESTINED FOR ETERNITY. SO DO BUSINESS WITH IT TODAY!

Enjoy Your Work

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.”
Ecclesiastes 5:18–20

It is not an exaggeration to say that many people do not enjoy their jobs. The image of people trudging off to labor they dread fills our culture, from comedy to drama to academic studies. There is an old story about a man who said, “I dig ditches to earn money to buy bread to give me strength to dig ditches.” There are many who are just putting in their time, dreaming of the day when they can retire. For most people in our society, work is at best a necessary evil.
The Bible, however, does not present work as something to be dreaded, but something to be celebrated and enjoyed. In fact, we should be grateful that God has given us the ability to work. Work is God’s plan for building His kingdom, providing for our needs, and equipping us with the financial resources to help others. Work is not a curse or an evil, but a gift, and we should treat it as such. If we adopt the attitude of the world toward work, choosing to gripe and complain rather than rejoice, we are cheating ourselves of the blessing that comes with joyful labor. The task may not be pleasant or easy, but it has a purpose, and we should do it with glad hearts.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Rejoice in what God has given you the ability to do, and be diligent about your labor.