On Feelings of Inadequacy: Part 2

work/wərk/

Noun:

Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Verb:

Be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result, esp. in one's job; do work.

(Google search "work")

The Bible has lots to say about the work we do, I think Proverbs 14:23 sums it up nicely: "Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table." (MSG). And then there is the dreaded Proverbs 31 woman. If you don't know what I mean, go and read it for yourself, go on, I'll  wait, I'll even do the hard work for you...

Hymn to a Good Wife

 10-31 A good woman is hard to find,
   and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
   and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
   all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
   and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
   and brings back exotic surprises.
She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
   for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
   then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
   rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
   is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
   diligent in homemaking.
She's quick to assist anyone in need,
   reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
   their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
   and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
   when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
   brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
   and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
   and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
   and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
   her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things,
   but you've outclassed them all!"
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
   The woman to be admired and praised
   is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
   Festoon her life with praises!(MSG)

 ... feel inadequate? Yes, me too! But there is hope! Forget that she is married and has children. Flip, forget she's even a woman for a second, this applies to men too! There are things in here we can all do:

• Be trustworthy
• Not be spiteful
• Be generous with what we have
• Be consistant
• Shop around!!
• Be prepared
• Make good investments
• Take care of ourselves
• Sense the worth of our work
• Don't do a half-arsed job
• Recognise our skills
• Be quick to help those in need
• Face tomorrow with a smile
• Have something worthwhile to say
• Say it kindly
• Be respected
• Be blessed
• Be praised
• Live in the Fear-of-God

Now "living in the Fear-of-God" is a huge thing, and maybe I'll get round to it in another post, and the three before that will come as a result of the rest, let's put these to one side for now. The rest of this list is all about character, perspective and thinking before you act.
 

It is about taking responsibility for your own feelings and behaviour.

OUCH!

So now we feel inadequate and poked, THANKS!

Why though? What can we not do? I need to be honest with you here, just so you know I'm on the poke-ee side! I am on the tail end (I believe) of a period of postnatal depression. It has taken months of counselling, therapy, anti-depressants and a pretty awesome move of God last weekend to get me to this point where I can look at myself and say 'hang on ein Minuten bitte!' and realise that actually I CAN do all this and more, because God is on my side, as long as I stay on God's side that is. Which means not listening to thoughts in my own head saying I'm worthless, hopeless, a rubbish mother, a useless wife, better off dead and all the other things that go whirring round when you are depressed, or even just having a bad day.

What then should my perspective be? Here's what I think...

Take a look at 1 Thesselonians 4:9-12 from The Source:

Now about love for fellow-believers - there's no need for me to write to you about this, as you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed this is exactly how you act towards all the fellow believes who are in Macedonia. But we urge you, fellow believers, to excel at it even more, so that your driving ambition will be to live in settled peace, and to carry out your own business affairs and to work at them actively, just as we instructed you. This is so that you will behave decently to the outsiders and you won't need anything!

The Greek word for 'ambition' here is the same one used to describe the basic drives and ambition of Homeric and other legendary heroes. LEGENDARY HEROES. Achilles, Hercules, King Leonidas of Sparta. These characters had that driving ambition because they knew their purpose.

The instruction in these verses is three-fold:

• to live in settled peace
• to carry out your own business affairs (or job!)
• to work at them actively

Who isn't striving to live in settled peace? Anyone? If we are to apply that same passionate desire we possess to be settled to carrying out our business affairs, and to not being passive in them, perhaps we should try and remember our own purpose?

I'll end for now on this:

But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
   what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
   be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
   take God seriously.

Micah 6:8 The Message