“What advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors?” Eccl. 3:9 LSB.

“I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor – it is the gift of God” Eccl. 3:12-13

Some jobs are just awful. No use in getting around it. On the other hand, some jobs don’t feel like work at all. And yet, whether we love our jobs or don’t like them, there still is this question: What is the point (Eccl. 3:9)? What is the ultimate profit?

Work is good for the soul. God gave Adam work in the garden to keep and cultivate it. But, you and I are not laboring in Eden. We are very far east of Eden, and so are our labors. We long for eternity (Eccl. 3:11), but our works are not eternal.

Our longing for eternity leads us to ask: what is the profit? What is the advantage of our labor? Not in the labors themselves but in what God blesses us through our works.

Blessings like the pleasure of sitting down with friends or family after a hard day’s work and enjoying the blessing of companionship, food, and drink. Or the blessing of seeing others benefit from your work (like a construction worker seeing the school he helped build being used to educate children). Even the satisfaction that you have put in a day of honest work and can rest in peace knowing that you have provided for yourself and your own.

These, and many more, are the gift of God.