The 6:1 Ratio

by Tim Howard

My parents instilled in me a healthy work ethic that still lingers in my mind and affects the way I carry out my responsibilities. If you are like me, you may recall hearing similar statements: “No you can’t go out and play until you clean your room! After you pick up your clothes you may have dessert! When you finish your chores you can spend time with your friends!

Those directives were intended to teach me the value and priority of work. Work first – play second! The goal was good and right but something happened in translation. It actually created a faulty view of work in my own mind. I began to see work as a necessary evil – an undesirable obligation to perform and an obstacle to overcome before I could enjoy life. In short: It was something to be avoided rather than embraced.

I fear that attitude may be more prevalent in our society than we care to admit. Maybe the “T.G.I.F.” slogan reveals a philosophical shift of our priorities from valuing work to making play a more desirable focus.

The Bible tells us that God worked 6 days and rested one. That pattern is presented as a healthy way to live and promises more fulfillment if implemented. We were created to work and not merely relax. We were created to be producers and not just consumers. Granted, there can be an imbalance, which is captured in that little proverb, which says: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

God involves us in His work because He wants us to live with a sense of purpose and worth. Everyone needs something to do, someone to love and something to hope for. When you seek pleasure more than purpose, you alter the way you were created to function and do yourself a disservice.

I recently re-read an interesting verse in Philippians 2:12-13 that caught my attention. It instructs those who follow Jesus Christ to “work out” their salvation. The author instructs people to do more than get informed. He told them to get involved! Don’t wait for God to do everything for you but respond to His leading by obedience and let him do things through you! When you are willing to partner with Him, participate in His plan and share in the work – God’s blessings are unleashed exponentially!

Many people I meet seem to demonstrate an attitude that demands others to do something for them without any participation from them. That’s called entitlement! It’s an aroma that’s very distinctive in today’s culture. It’s seen in our expectations of parents, government agencies, organizations and even God. If we aren’t careful we can fall into the trap of thinking God isn’t at work while failing to realize the problem is our un-willingness to work.

It’s straight forward, not softened or watered down and some would even say it’s harsh, but the Apostle Paul gives this directive in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “…we gave you this rule: Whoever does not work should not eat.”

Whether it’s picking up your clothes, cleaning your room, laboring on the job, working on your marriage or earning a living – the 6:1 ration will provide great dividends if done with the right attitude. 

There is no unemployment in God’s Kingdom. There is plenty of work for everyone. Work is not a necessary evil but the pathway to fulfillment.