God spoke, and these were his words: "I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves."

"Worship no god but me."

"Do not make for yourselves images or anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the LORD your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws."

Exodus 20:1-6

The ability to work is a wonderful gift, but sometimes we take it too far. Our work becomes our identity. Work may even be taking over family and community. How busy you are becomes a badge of courage, much like a status symbol. Making a god out of work is not a new problem. Just remember, the ten commandments specifically forbid worship of any other gods. No matter what our occupation, we must keep work in perspective. God and family are more important than dedication to a job. Work is a gift, not a god.

It is not the hours you put in,

but what you put into the hours that counts.

Our Daily Bread - February 21, 2003