The Protestant Work Ethic

Jesus said, "I have ... [completed] the work you gave me to do ..." (Cf. John 17:4).
"For the people had a mind to work" (cf. Nehemiah 4:6, ESV, NKJV).  
"The Lord assigns each man's work" (cf. John 3:27, NLT).
"...[R]ejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God"  (Eccl. 5:19, NKJV).
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Eccl. 9:10, NKJV).
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory" (1 Cor. 10:31, HCSB).

I once accepted a job as a file clerk for the VA.  Filing was always my bugaboo, so this was a challenge!  My pet peeve around the office was when I was assigned the task of filing.  How God has changed my work ethic to realize you can do anything or any task to the glory of God.  Of course, there is extrinsic motivation like more pay and there are intrinsic motivations like feeling called to do a work for God and His plan and purposes.  Like Nehemiah felt "inspired" to say, "I am doing great work and I can not come down..." (off the wall of Jerusalem which he led to rebuilding in a record 52 days).  Zechariah was also an expert on intrinsic motivation, "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."  You are only inspired as lofty as your insight is.  You probably heard of the three stonecutters at the quarry asked about what they were doing:  The first one said he was cutting stones, the second was merely earning so and so pounds an hour, and the third said he was building a cathedral.  Obviously, the last one had his eyes on the Lord and was considered for promotion and the good role model.  Paul urges us to do our work "heartily as unto the Lord."

The Protestant work ethic has a long history.  St. Francis of Assisi was asked, "If you had only ten minutes left to live, what would you do?"  He was the gardener at the monastery and said that he would "finish this row."  Work is part of our makeup and is an expression of our image and likeness of God.  We show God's nature in our daily tasks and occupations.  We feel compelled to accomplish something and feel pride in what we do.  During the time of Paul's writing, there were 60 million slaves in the world and work was considered a curse and only slaves should do it.  However, Martin Luther brought honor and dignity to work (even mundane tasks) by saying that all work can be done to the glory of God.  Paul stated that anything can be done to the glory of God (cf. Col. 3:17, 23).    During the formative years of Jamestown in 1607, Captain John Smith quoted Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that if you will not work, neither shall you eat.  You've heard of the "idle rich," but those who wear themselves out to get rich are just as wrong.  Theodore Roosevelt said, "There has never been a man who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering." Everyone needs a purpose in life higher than himself.  Carl F. H. Henry said we are creatures made for work and not for idleness.  And we can be assured of work in heaven, even Adam was assigned the task of horticulture in the Garden of Eden.  This is because we are hard-wired for work and express the image of God doing it.

God does not call us to success but to faithfulness, according to Mother (Saint) Teresa.  Jer. 45:5, ESV, says:  "And do you seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not...."  The Bible condemns "selfish ambition" in Gal. 5:20.  Everyone has a niche and a calling from God whether homemaker or President and we are judged only by our faithfulness in our calling, not its success.  It is not what we accomplish as much as what we are.  Only deeds done to the glory of God in the Spirit are to be rewarded.  God isn't against good deeds but only those done in the flesh apart from God's guidance and will.

Whatever our hands find to do we should do with "all [our] might" (cf. Eccl. 9:10).  We should be "redeeming the time because the days are evil" or "making the best use of our time" (cf. Eph. 5:16).  We are a people created to be "zealous of good works" (cf. Titus 2:14).  But Paul says it is wrong to have zeal without knowledge in Rom. 10:2.   Note Col. 1:19, NKJV, says "...being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (note the correlation!)  We are saved "unto good works" (cf. Eph. 2:10).  We are not saved by them but so we can do them.   I hope you too can find a "labor of love" to complete God's will for you and your mission and calling (cf. Acts 20:27).  Note that Haggai, another motivational prophet to rebuild the temple,  said "... and work for I am with you" (cf. Haggai 2:4).

An anecdote is told of the work ethic being put into practice by St. Theresa commencing to build a convent.  Upon being asked of her resources, she had and telling them she only had the sum of twelve pence; they said not even St. Theresa can accomplish much with a mere twelve pence;  her comeback was that "St. Theresa and God and do anything!"  Just like Nehemiah finished the wall in 52 days and the people gave the glory to God, we can bring praise to God and glorify Him by doing it His way, with His means, and giving Him the credit and glory!   It is noteworthy that Jesus is the highest standard of work ethic, but also the highest incentive!  It has been said that to work is to worship!  We can realize our full potential in serving God with our work, for "to work is to pray," according to Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo.  NB: We can move mountains and glorify God only when we trust Him and are willing to do it His way and give Him the glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

A Work Ethic

"Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness" (cf. Jer. 48:10).
".. 'I am engaged in a great work [project] so I can't come [down right now!].  Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?'" (Cf. Neh. 6:3, NLT). 
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV).
"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need" (Eph. 4:28, ESV).  
"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty" (Prv. 14:23, ESV).

Work ethic has been called the Protestant work ethic for centuries.  In 1607 Captain John Smith of Jamestown announced that he who wouldn't work will not eat after the admonition in 2 Thess. 3:10.  It was Martin Luther who first brought dignity to work, for it had been considered a curse and fit for slaves by the classic philosophers.  All that mattered was whether one did it to the glory of God--it didn't matter the kind or manner of a work project.

During the Holocaust in a concentration camp at Dachau, the Nazis tried to entice the Jews to work by telling them "Arbeit Macht Frei" or that work makes one free--it was a sham to motivate.  The Germans had a number of wise proverbs including "Arbeit Ehrt" or work dignify; "Arbeit Macht das Leben Suss," or work makes life sweet.  Work is meant to be a blessing just like food and drink according to Eccl. 3:13.

By way of illustration:  There is one well-known anecdote of a man who asks three men at a stone quarry and asks them what they are doing:  one says, "Can't you see?  I'm cutting stones!" another says, "I'm earning 100 lbs a week!" and the last one has a divine viewpoint and says, "I'm building a cathedral!"  Our perspective on our tasks makes all the difference and take on a new light as a witness to the world!

Jesus said, "I have ... [completed] the work you gave me to do..." (cf. John 17:4)--what a sigh of relief!  Nehemiah said, "For the people had a mind to work." (Cf. Neh. 4:6)--God can give intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation and incentive to work, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty" (Cf. Zech. 4:6).   We are as inspired as our dreams and goals--aim high, not low--if you aim for nothing you will get nowhere.

We must all be willing to do humble work, in the so-called "order of the towel," as when Jesus took one to do the foot-washing in the Upper Room.  There is no caste system or class consciousness in Christ, as He leveled the playing field and made us all one in Christ, whether slave or free.

We must learn to do whatever we do with all our heart as unto the Lord, and to His glory, learning to love what we do, thus being a light to the world.  King George III said that we should aim not to do what we love but love what we do!   It's not wrong to take pride in one's vocation or work, for we will do our best and have extra motivation.  When we work, we are expressing God's image in us--work is no curse but part of God's plan and there will be work in heaven. 

It has been said that man is meant and "hard-wired for work" (according to Dr. Carl F. H. Henry), and cannot live without meaningful work or tasks to complete--we're not meant for idleness.  We must be wise to redeem the time for God, not wasting it (cf. Eph. 5:16).  Augustine of Hippo said, "to work is to pray!"  We all must learn to stay out of trouble, for idleness can be the devil's tool and workshop!  We are happiest when we are busy doing the Lord's work! Lack of stimulating work is debilitating--sloth (acedia) or idleness is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

God does not call us to success but to faithfulness, according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, recipient of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and now canonized.  The Bible condemns selfish ambition, but not godly pursuits.   Jer. 45:5 says, "Do you seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not."  Everyone has a niche and a calling with one or more talents to use for God.   We should never compare ourselves with others but seek faithfulness in our God-given chores, tasks, duties, and errands.   "Whatever our hand finds to do, do it with all our might," says Ecclesiastes 9:10.  

And Col. 1:10 equates work with faith and says to "bear fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God."  We all should hope to find a "labor of love" to complete God's will.  We may retire from our jobs, but not God's service!  In a sense, our job is our workbench of worship and a dress rehearsal for heaven.  Teddy Roosevelt said that there's never been a man who led a life of ease whose name was worth remembering.

One anecdote from St. Francis of Assisi is in order:  He was busy doing his gardening at the monastery and was asked what he'd do if he only had thirty minutes to live.  He said, "I'd finish this row!" O, that we all could die doing what we love--doing God's will and busy at the Lord's work!   He had a handle on his purpose and was ready to meet the Lord at any time.   In conclusion, ask yourself:  "Who are you working for?  The man, the union, or the Lord?  Are you a team player?  Do you seek excellence in the Lord's work? Do you go to work to worship and pray as well as work?    Soli Deo Gloria!

A Great Work

 "... 'I am engaged in a great work so I can't come.  Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?'"  (Nehemiah 6:3, NLT). "... [Yes], establish the work of our hands!"  (Psalm 90:17, ESV). "[Also] that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil--this is God's gift to man"  (Eccl. 3:13, ESV).
"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty"  (Prov. 14:23, ESV).
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV).
"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need"  (Eph. 4:28, ESV).

Do you see yourself as being assigned by God to do a "great work" just like Nehemiah did?  How you interpret your duty as a lot to say about your mission in life.  Do you have a mission statement as an individual?  We may have goals, which may or may not be accomplished, but we need a purpose in life to fulfill what God has called us to do.  Jobs don't last, but missions do!  I'm sure you've heard of the three bricklayers who were asked what they were doing:  One said he was laying bricks; another said he was making so-and-so much, but the one with divine viewpoint said he was building a cathedral.  Do you see yourself as a man on a mission?

St. Francis of Assisi was asked what he would do if he only had one hour to live: he'd finish the row he was gardening!  He knew what God wanted for him and was ready to meet his Maker.  Have you ever heard of Brother Lawrence, who was a monk in a Carmelite monastery in France in the seventeenth century?  He practiced the presence of God all day by keeping the dialogue open in prayer, no matter what his hands were doing, even washing dishes.

Nehemiah was a great motivator, who is chronicled as the man behind the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem in 52 days--a work of God!   He praised the people for their hard and dedicated work, and said, "the people had a mind to work"  (Neh. 4:6).  You could say, as the NLT does, that "they worked with enthusiasm." This is a problem today (even if we retire, we never retire from the Lord's work!), because the lazy are often rewarded equal to the hard-working, and the good-old-Protestant-work ethic is fading and people are not trying to see how much they can produce or contribute, but how much they can get or receive from society.

As a for instance, in 1607 Jamestown, Captain John Smith had a similar dilemma, where the so-called upper classes didn't see fit to work, and he quoted 2 Thess. 3:10, that says, "If a man doesn't want to work, he shall not eat."  We all have a duty to contribute to society, and no one is incapable of it, it is even possible for the disabled to do something, and make their mark on society.

God has blessed us with the pleasure of work, whereby we exhibit the image of God, for even Jesus worked and Adam did before the Fall.  We can find fulfillment in our work but must be careful not to make it our life--we need a work ethic, but we need a life too!   Solomon said that your work and your food and drink are blessings from God and we are meant to enjoy them (cf. Eccl. 3:13).  It seems unfair to work all your life and have your fortune left to others, but you must not see yourself as serving mammon, but God, not building a kingdom, but being in one!

Your purpose will last on after death, no matter who gets the fruits, and the most important thing you can leave is a legacy, not money--something bigger than you because it isn't all about you.  It is more important to have an impact and be somebody that God uses than to be a nobody with riches.  Einstein said that we shouldn't strive to be a success but to be persons of value.  I will mention in passing the wise words of Mother Teresa (now canonized):  "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."

A good work ethic entails doing our best, as unto the Lord (cf. Col. 3:17, 23) and finding the work God wants for us; for we are all called to and designed for something--don't make your God out to be too small, but bigger than your tasks, seeing divine purpose in everything ("Whatsoever you do...").  We are not called to be workaholics, but to do what God has assigned and to finish that work, just as Jesus said, "I have finished the work thou has given me to do"  (cf. John 17:4).  Some people try to get away with as little as possible and only work for themselves.  Actually, the greater we are, the more people we serve, not how many serve us.  We are to get the servant's heart and orientate ourselves to being God's slave and bond-servant.

It is key to have the mindset of Christ's servant or what Paul said in Romans 15:18 (NIV): "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...."   (The NKJV says, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me....")   In the same vein or framework of mind and viewpoint Isaiah said, "All that we have done, you have accomplished through us"  (cf. Isaiah 26:12).  We are only vessels of honor being used by God and God will reward what He does through us!

In conclusion, let me demonstrate how orientation affects you:  Remember the song:  "I'm working for the man...."  To illustrate:  One athlete said he was a team player; another that he was the best on the team; another that he was on God's team!  Are you God's dishwasher, a member of the union, or only the best dishwasher, as it were?  Be God's man doing His work! We are not just called to pursue a job, but to labor in the name of the Lord, doing His divine work, according to our ability.   We are all laborers harvesting in the Lord's fields.   Soli Deo Gloria!    

Work Ethic

 "[T]hat the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work"  (2 Tim. 3:17, ESV).
"[E]ach one's work will become manifest..." (1 Cor. 3:13, ESV).
"For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do"  (Heb. 6:10, ESV).
"...bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God"  (Col. 1:10, ESV).
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"  (Matt. 11:28, ESV).

Jesus said that He had "accomplished the work that [God] gave [him] to do" (cf. John 17:4, ESV). We are all here for a purpose, we are not to just take up space without purpose, but part of our dignity from being in the image of God is to find meaning in work. This begs the question:  Are we living or merely existing?  We don't work for work's sake, as if we are workaholics, but to glorify God--Augustine said that to work is to worship!  Martin Luther first brought dignity to manual labor when he said it could be done to the glory of God--previously it had been held in contempt.  When we fulfill the purpose God has for us we are headed to glory as David had fulfilled all the will of God and when he had fulfilled God's purpose he was laid to rest in peace (cf. Acts 13:36).

 Man is hard-wired for work and is not meant for idleness, which can destroy his soul (cf. Neh. 6:3, NLT:  "...'I am engaged in a great work...'").  We have a need for meaningful work, and also to glorify God in it.  Jesus knew what hard work was and how to get down and dirty with the men.  When he took off his cloak and got a towel to wash the disciples' feet, this was a chore only fit for non-Jewish slaves.  But the true message is that we should never think some task or chore is beneath our dignity, honor, or status.  We need to be ambitious, but not in a selfish manner.  Cursed is the one who is slack in the Lord's work (cf. Ezekiel 48:10).  The work ethic is largely the result of Protestantism and it can be clearly seen in Scripture.

Note the Jews in Nehemiah, who "had a mind to work!" (Cf. Nehemiah 4:6).  In other words, they worked with enthusiasm or spunk!  Actually, enthusiasm means to put God into something--how fitting a word!  Just like our spiritual gifts, in that we should not get elitist and think we have a superior gift, but stay humble and faithful to our God-given assignment in the Lord, so we are not to look down on any laborer whose work is done in the name of the Lord.  Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that if we are unwilling to work or don't have time for it, we shouldn't eat either.  This verse was quoted by Captain John Smith in Jamestown, our first permanent settlement in America by the British.

Sometimes it seems there is nothing to do, but there is always the Lord's work and Ecclesiastes says it bluntly:  "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV). In doing your work, it's paramount that you have the right mindset, that you're doing it to the glory of God.  Three workers were asked what they were doing:  The first said he was laying bricks; the second that he was earning so much an hour; the third said he was building a cathedral!  Now, don't you see that if you see things clearly with God's viewpoint you can find purpose and meaning in any task? Also note:  Brother Lawrence, known for his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, writes that he can communicate with God no matter what his chore is, even while washing dishes he multi-tasked and kept his communication channel or dialogue with God going and open.

Even in mental health facilities, they have "work therapy" to give purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to patients and to gauge their progress towards therapeutic mental hygiene.  Note:  We never really retire from the Lord's work and should always be ready to do His bidding and will; the reason so many feel bored after retirement is that they never equated the two (God's will and work for us that is bigger than our lives).  In other words, we should invest our life in something that will outlast it and set our goals so that we can serve God no matter what happens.

To sum up, all work can be done to glorify God (cf. Col. 3:17,23) and we can enter into God's labor and enjoy His food or find fulfillment, i.e., to do the will of God as we accomplish His work (cf. John 4:34), as nothing we do for the Lord will be in vain, but be rewarded. God gave the work order to Adam and Eve to till the garden; therefore work is no curse.  We reflect God's glory in our work, and so Haggai 2:4 exhorts us to "work" for God is with us!   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Getting Down And Dirty

"God in heaven appoints each man's work" (cf. John 3:27, NLT).

Some of us aren't willing to do the dirty work that we see is beneath us, and this was so in Jesus' day when He draped a towel and washed the disciples' feet, a task fit only for non-Jewish slaves.  Peter objected and didn't think the Lord should stoop so low, but that's what grace is:  " Donald Grey Barnhouse said, "Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace."  We must learn to relate to God's agape or unconditional love.

There are many dirty jobs few people are willing to do, and that's probably why they pay a lot:  for example, the proctologist.  I wouldn't do certain jobs for all the money in the world, like being a male nurse, because I don't have it in me to be that gracious and willing to work with people's physical problems.  This is why we all need each other:  we are all suited to different work and have different talents and we need to be willing to go where no one is willing to go.  God hasn't given up on them because no one is too bad to be saved; we're all totally depraved and as far from redemption as can be without the grace of God.  

I like to call this humble work "the order of the towel" like when Jesus did the foot-washing of the disciples.   We need to be like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now canonized, who went among the untouchables caste of India, who had been written off as beyond redemption.  The right attitude is that of George Whitefield, who saw a man go to the gallows and remarked:  "There but for the grace of God, go I." Again, I call this the order of the towel when we stoop to do God's work and don't think anything is beneath us.

A mother who changes diapers knows what love is: it's not necessarily a feeling but an act as we demonstrate it by our deeds.  This is what discipleship is about:  going where God calls us and doing what God calls us to do.  Just like dung has fertilizing power, so Christians who get down and dirty have fertilizing power in the world, as they show Christ's love to the world.  Just like there are dirty jobs that no one wants to do, but need to get done, so believers need to realize that they must be willing to get down and dirty with mankind.  Whenever God gives you the challenge to humble yourself or eat your humble pie, rise to the occasion!

The world owes Christianity for the rise of hospitals, leprosariums, orphanages, relief organizations, and schools because the other religions failed to see the mission to reach out to the needy as Christians did.  We must see ourselves as servants:  "For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life--a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45, HCSB).   We may have to be willing to stoop to save others:  "save others by snatching them from the fire; on others have mercy in fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."

We must be aware that "bad company corrupts good morals" (cf. 1 Cor. 15:33) and pick our friends wisely, but that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of any social contact as if we could be contaminated by fellowship--we'd have to go out of the world to avoid sinners altogether.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Introduction to Work Ethics

Jesus said, "I have... [completed] the work you gave me to do..." (cf. John 17:4)--what a sigh of relief that must've been!

Nehemiah said, "For the people had a mind to work." (cf. Neh. 4:6) What is meant by that?

I accepted a job as a file clerk for the VA. Filing used to be my bugaboo! My pet peeve around the office was that I had to do the filing, because I was the low man on the totem pole, as they say!

How God has changed me! Of course, there is extrinsic motivation like more pay and intrinsic motivations like feeling called to do a work for God for His glory. Like Nehemiah felt "inspired" to say, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down." (When on the wall of Jerusalem which was built in only 52 days.) Zechariah was also an expert on intrinsic motivation, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."

You are only inspired as lofty as your insight, e.g., there was the story of the three stone cutters who were working and someone asked them what they were doing. The first one said that he was cutting stones, the second said he was earning 20 pounds an hour, and the third said he was building a cathedral! Obviously the last one had his eyes on the Lord.

Paul urges us to do our work likewise "heartily as unto the Lord." There is no work that is beneath us (remember Christ took up the "order of the towel"), because God is no respecter of persons; and there is no hierarchy in Christianity or class system--we are all brethren in Christ (God has leveled the playing field saying we are all "one in Christ").   Soli Deo Gloria!

Ethics Conclusion

Conclusion:

The Germans have a phrase: "Arbeit Ehrt." That means work brings honor. They also say, "Arbeit Macht das Leben Suss." (Work makes life sweet.) The so-called Protestant work ethic is part of their culture, and even when a strike takes place it is a scandal. Charles Swindoll mentions a sign outside a concentration camp (Dachau) that read "Arbeit Macht Frei" (work makes you free). That was, of course, a lie; meant to make them work all the more.

Brother Lawrence, the famous Catholic, was a cook in a 17th-century French monastery for the Lord, and he sensed God with him in all his daily activity, no matter what he did. The Practice of the Presence of God is a classic on the subject. It isn't so much what we do, but how we do it and whether we do it as unto the Lord and in the name of the Lord (cf. Col. 3:17; Col. 3:23; 1 Cor. 10:31).

There is one solemn warning in Scripture that needs mentioning: "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness" (cf. Jer. 48:10). We must take God's work seriously and not be sluggish or slothful. Billy Graham defines sloth as the sin of doing nothing, it is the root of laziness and is one of the seven deadly sins. So let us gladly do whatever the Lord assigns us to do. We don't have to be perfectionists, just show improvement--with God perfection is the standard, but the direction is the test. "Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect"  (cf. Matt. 5:48).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Ethics Part 3

God does not call us to success but to faithfulness, according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now canonized and Nobel Prize winner. Jeremiah 45:5 says: "Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not." The Bible condemns "selfish ambition" and doesn't condone complacency. Mediocrity is not good! "Good enough for government work" is the wrong attitude. For example, changing tires doesn't define you, but doing a good job does.

Everyone has a niche or a calling from God (cf. John 3:27, NLT), whether homemaker or president and is judged only by his faithfulness to his own calling. It is not for us to compare ministries, or gifts (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12). God is more interested in what we are in a character, not as much as what we do (for a living.) I'm sick of being asked what I do for a living because God has given me a calling that cannot be defined in human terms. Only deeds done to the glory of God in the power of the Holy Spirit are to be rewarded.

Whatever our hands find to do we should do with all our might, the Preacher says in Eccl. 9:10. We should be 'redeeming the time because the days are evil" (i.e., making the most of every opportunity). We are a people created to be "zealous of good works." Col. 1:10 says we should be "bearing fruit in every good work" and thus we "increase in the knowledge of God." We all should hope to find a "labor of love" to complete God's will. We may retire from our jobs, but never from God's service!

Hag. 2:4 says, "Work, for I am with you." God is with us even in our labor--they can become a "labor of love"!    Soli Deo Gloria!