Most of us will work a variety of jobs in our lifetime—some we love, some we would rather not talk about. I had my share of jobs as I made my way through college and grad school—from picking up old appliances to delivering coupon booklets door-to-door to washing dishes to construction to selling clothes.

Even if we don't enjoy our work, it is better than the alternative (idleness), and it can give our lives real purpose. Our work takes on greater value when we work not just for a paycheck but for the Lord's approval.

A line from English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge suggests the connection between work and value. He wrote, "Work without hope draws nectar in a sieve, and hope without an object cannot live." Our work, he suggests, must have hope to maintain its value. But where do we find that hope?

It's an idea found in the Bible. According to Colossians 3:23, we should work "as to the Lord " because He is the One who will reward us (v.24). We are to be known as hard workers who never grow weary in doing good (2 Th. 3:6-15).

Honor God and be a positive testimony to others with the way you work. That will give your work—no matter what it is—true hope.  — Dave Branon