Do you love work? When I was a child, I used to think that God gave work as part of the curse! But of course, that’s a lie. God introduced work at the very beginning. As soon as God had created the Garden Home, He put the man in it to work and guard it. The Hebrew word “avad” for work means “to serve, till, labor, to make weary.” That sounds like hard work.
But work is a blessing. Physical work saves us going to gym. Work releases creativity. In my last post, I shared how God created us to be creative beings with the anointing “to make.” But work precedes creativity. As we work, we think of better ways of doing things. More efficient. More ingenious. And then of course, when we think of these things, we get involved in more work. But that will release more creativity. Isn’t that exciting?
Let’s embrace work with a joyful and exciting attitude? Let’s have the right confession. Do you ever say, “I love work.”? I love to say these words.
Get your children to love work. This is a very important habit to instill in them while they are young. It breaks my heart to see lazy children who don’t want to work. They haven’t been trained. We train our children to work. Not by nagging them. Not by yelling at them to stop being lazy. Not by punishing them. But by encouraging them. By thinking of ways to show them how to make it fun.
Work is part of human dignity. Work is an expression of the image of God. He is a Creator and therefore He works. After resting on the seventh day, He began working again. He created the Garden of Eden and then He planted a garden. Yes, God, the ruler of the universe, prepared the soil and put His hands right into the soil and planted (Genesis 2:8)! Some people think they are better than God and they would rather not get their hands dirty.
Jesus said: “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17).
God looks upon all work as holy, whether it is sacred or secular. Working in your home—scrubbing toilets, changing diapers, vacuuming, preparing meals, and washing dishes are just as sacred as the pastor preaching on Sunday. We often think of the priests as holy men of God. But the majority of them were butchers, slaughtering beasts and cutting them up all day long. They were tough and I am sure had well developed muscles. Others were bakers and cleaners and watchers over the temple (yes, they were bouncers!). And they were all holy and anointed for these “sacred” tasks.
Oh yes, something I didn’t tell you. I left it until the last. Another meaning of the word “avad” means “to worship.” Work is worship to God. When we do it with a willing and joyful spirit, we are actually worshipping God because He created us in His image to work! As you are busy working in your home, you are worshipping all day long.
Are you getting excited about work? Gather your children around and remind them how God created work for our blessing. It is holy and sacred. And when they do their chores with a willing heart, they are worshipping God. And if they try to do them to the best of their ability, God will show them better and quicker ways of doing them. And they’ll have more time for play!
I love work, don’t you?
Love from Nancy Campbell
Photo: My granddaughters, Georgia, Breeze, and Haven working hard to rake up leaves in the woods for my compost pile.
“Sometimes it is very dark. We cannot understand what we are doing. We do not see the web we are weaving. We are not able to discover any beauty, any possible good in our experience. Yet if we are faithful and fail not and faint not, we shall someday know that the most exquisite work of all our life was done in those days when it was so dark.” 
Dear wives and mothers, you are created in the image of God to reflect His glory. As a female God has destined you to reveal His nurturing and compassionate anointing to the world.
I am currently doing a series on THE GLORY OF WOMANHOOD on my weekly podcast. This morning I came across this beautiful quote and so am posting it for you.
I have some little people with fine hair and rosy cheeks,
Did you ever listen to the podcasts I did with Meadow? You can check them out here.
A POST FROM MEADOW
He was just a little boy, 
When Jesus was moved with compassion towards the hungry people who came to listen to him, he asked Philip where they could buy bread to feed them all. Philip replied that eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for all the thousands of people (John 6:7).
What are you breathing today? Of course you breathe to keep alive, but what else are you breathing? Threatenings to your children? Or love and kindness and truth?
Each new baby is born with the stamp of God upon them.
Before I was a Mom
This is such a powerful truth. Every human being is created in the image of God. We are theomorphic, created to bear His image in the earth. Each new baby is another revelation of His image and likeness. What an incredible privilege to cooperate with God to bring forth The image and likeness of God into the earth. 
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb"
Who helps to cheer the daily round?
BABIES DON’T KEEP!
What kind of aromas fill your home? Sweet or bad smells? The flesh gives off sour, bitter, grumpy, and horrible smells, doesn't it? They make everyone in the home feel bad and want to run! But Christ in us is a sweet-smelling savor, and He wants us to exude His sweet aroma throughout the home. Most husbands love fragrant perfumes (well, my husband does), but more than perfumes, we should constantly wear the perfume of Christ in our lives.
Isn’t it nice when everything is peaceful and lovely? We would rather not be in a battle, would we? But did you know that God leads us into battles? If you are facing a battle right now, maybe it’s God who has you the battle.
As you wait for the miracle of finance for the new magazine, I want to remind you that you can continue to be blessed in so many ways through the ministry of Above Rubies.