I am fascinated by abandoned buildings. I look at the crumbling brick walls and think of all the work that went into carefully building those walls brick by brick. I notice rusting metal beams and think of all the hours of labor that went into forging the beams and welding them into place. I see crumbling plaster with drooping wallpaper and think of the hours spent carefully selecting colors and installing the walls and wallpaper.
It doesn’t take long to see in our world what Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes 2:22-23: “What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless (NIV).” He makes a great point about the purpose of this futility — that it is meant to point us toward God. “This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment (verse 24-25). Without God in our life, our work in this world will amount to nothing.
If our purpose and meaning in life is centered on God, then all we do will be meaningful, our efforts will be invested in the eternal Kingdom of God. Our work on earth, our toil, will become centered on God’s purposes, not our own. Our work becomes a way to invest in the lives of those around us, to be a light for them in a dark world.
© 2019 CGThelen
140 Character Christian 
This is good. Timely. And I like the visual. I too have a thing for abandoned buildings.
Praise God he continues to point us toward the everlasting. Blessings.
Interesting perspective, one I don’t often have. All the creations of men rust and decay; God’s creations (grass, flowers, the sky) are new every morning.
So true. God’s creation renews itself. Thanks for the comment.
Good focus points to remember.
Staying focused on God’s work seems to be a daily task for me. Thanks for the comment.