We all have “work” to do. It is very clear what our work entails. The task for us to accomplish lies within our jobs, our relationships, and the communities to which we belong. This is not meaningless work. It is not to collect a paycheck or to impress people. These are the arenas in which we bear witness to the Kingdom of God.
The work is difficult. It is hard enough to be a good plumber, mechanically speaking. It is harder still to be a good plumber who treats people well, has a good attitude, and uses his skill as a resource to serve God’s Kingdom. But that is exactly what we are called to do.
We are called to be good husbands and wives, sons and daughters, students and bosses. The work before us is to figure out how these things relate to the Kingdom of God and what we can do to steward them in that direction well.
As challenging as the work is, the reward outweighs the effort by a million miles. The Lord is with us when it gets hard, when we feel uncertain or discouraged. He won’t leave us alone.
This verse is David encouraging his son Solomon to press on until the building of the temple is complete. We are all constructing “temples” with our lives – erecting a place of worship from which God’s name will be proclaimed. That metaphorical place is our very lives. We are the temples of God, bearing witness to Him.
Press on. Keep working. Continue trying. Until that temple is complete. And know that God is with us, every step of the way.