Our brothers, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep away from all brothers who are living a lazy life and who do not follow the instructions that we gave them. You yourselves know very well that you should do just what we did. We were not lazy when we were with you. We did not accept anyone's support without paying for it. Instead, we worked and toiled; we kept working day and night so as not to be an expense to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to demand our support; we did it to be an example for you to follow. While we were with you, we used to tell you, "Whoever refuses to work is not allowed to eat."

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10

We get weary in our work at times and want to give up, but we can stay the course if we understand that we're working for our LORD and ultimately for His eyes only. He is an employer who sees and knows all we do, and He values what we do and why we do it. Knowing that God cares about our work gives meaning to all our actions, even those no one else notices or appreciates.

Our Daily Bread - September 3, 2001