Issue 1232 – Working Like A Dog – August 26, 2023
The old expression “work like a dog” tends to mean that someone is overworked, often in some menial labour. I was working like a dog, shovelling gravel in the hot sun.
In fairness to dogs, they love to work. Even “non-working” dogs need tasks to perform. When we raced sled dogs, there were sometimes more than 100 dogs and pups in the kennel. There were Siberian huskies, houndskies (greyhound or other hound – Siberian husky crosses,) and various mixed parentage dogs built to run, all of whom loved to pull the sled.
You can’t run that many dogs at once, so we would take them out in teams of five or seven dogs. When the equipment came out, the kennel would erupt in a chorus of pure pandemonium. Every dog was howling to be the one picked to run.
Years later, when we had border collies, I was convinced that if you let them, they would work themselves to death and pass on happy. Kathy walked them miles daily. We spent countless hours throwing balls and frisbees and inventing other games for them to play.
It’s bred into canines. Nothing pleases a dog more than working hard for the master it loves.
In our society, we tend to treat work as a form of drudgery or punishment to be endured. We have lost the joy of doing a job well for the sake of doing a good job.
We were created to work.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis1:26-27
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Genesis 2:15
The Theology of Work project describes what follows in the early part of Genesis: “The rest of Genesis 1 and 2 develops human work in five specific categories: dominion, relationships, fruitfulness/growth, provision, and limits .” A lot can be explored in those areas; we simply don’t have room this morning.
Not every job is fun or exciting. Not every task is rewarding. Not every boss is a joy to work for or a customer a pleasure to deal with. Still, God has told us what our approach should be.
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:22-24
Everything we do is to bring glory to God, even our work. Let’s work like dogs … joyfully giving our all for the master we love.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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