Heigh-Ho! Heigh-Ho!

I'd intended to write a convincing article about the work ethic, quoting "It's off to work we go," from Walt Disney's wildly popular movie rendition of the story, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." I'm not so sure it's working out that way!

I didn't know anything about Snow White until I was old enough to read the fairy tale for myself. Although I never saw the movie, I sometimes heard people singing, "Heigh ho! Heigh ho! It's off to work we go!"

So before writing this post, I decided to do a little background work. I borrowed a CD from the library, a remastering of the original soundtrack, but sounds from decades ago being what they are, it's hard to tell if the dwarfs really are singing "It's off to work we go." At the end of the song, they're definitely singing, "It's home from work we go!" (Of course, if you're a working mom, it's off to work I go--and home to work I go!) The little people sang about digging in the mines for diamonds by the score, "but we don't know what we're digging for." And that's the situation in which a great many working people find themselves today.

I have known several people who considered work a necessary evil, a part of the curse that was dealt to Adam for his part in disobedience against God. I don't believe that is what the Genesis story tells us. Adam and Eve tended the garden and took responsibility for the animals (e.g. worked) when they were still in their perfect sinless environment. It was part of the initial Plan. The penalty for Adam was that the earth would be productive only through difficulty, which means for many a grinding job that they hate but must maintain in order to make a living.

"Do what you love and the money will follow," is a lovely thought, but it doesn't happen for everyone; simply following one's passion does not necessarily provide an adequate income. (That's why we have the term "starving artists"!) In reality, some have found success in the thing that they love only by very hard (smart) work, perseverance, creating or supplying something that others value, and maybe a touch of serendipitous good. Many other folks just have to find a way to love what they do, or at least make peace with it while it provides them with a living so that they can do what they love on the side!

The Bible does encourage workers to keep in mind our real motivation. "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3:23, 24 NLT)

MaryMartha

Note: In case you're interested, a Blu-ray version of the movie was released just last month. So if you are not into non-stop football on Thanksgiving Day . . .

Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

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