I don’t believe work was meant to be backbreaking or energy draining. If you subscribe to the Christian faith, then you know this turn of affairs happened as a result of the “Fall”. Sin made the earth unyielding and so, Adam needed to labour intensely for a reward. But, it was not always so.
In the beginning, work was about purposefulness, responsibility and stewardship. It was never about survival. Adam didn’t need to buy food or pay for shelter. His primary occupations; what he spent most of his day doing were learning and relationships.
It is therefore unnatural, how humanity spends the bulk of its time at work, while relationships have become value-adds. And, unless you happen to be in academia, the pursuit of knowledge is an occasional or compulsory activity.
I believe that the true purpose of money is to transcend survival to free up time. Like scripture says, “…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6.25
Life is more than all the things you struggle for. And tomorrow is not promised. You can die at any time. So, in the meantime, while you have breath, enjoy your life.
Stop waiting until you have enough money to experience joy. There is so much that is pleasurable that doesn’t cost much. Why must enjoyment be a weekend or public holiday activity? Why do you need to go on vacation to rest? Why is a hotel room cleaner and more comfortable than your own home? Why can’t you do something that makes you happy everyday?
And you, that have money, why aren’t you outsourcing non-essentials so you can save time for family and friends? Why do you talk to or see loved ones once a week? Why not everyday? You can surely afford to.
Why do you only study stuff that’s important to your job or career? Why can’t you read for fun? Take a course just because you are curious? Learn about other cultures and beliefs to enlarge your heart?
This season, prioritize learning and relationships. That’s your real life. And, your real work should be a mission. Being a part of something bigger than yourself. Believing you are in some small way changing the world and helping others.
By all means, do what you need to do to survive. But, there will come a time when you can afford to do what you really want to do. Don’t get too trapped on a treadmill leading to nothing and nowhere, because of work. Work is not your life. You have nothing to prove.
For more, please read The Future of the Nation.