Gratitude in Every Task: Remember Our Main Goal!

I was sitting in the corner sometime in May 2024 at a beach resort. It was already night, and swimming at the beach was no longer permitted. Some chose to swim in the pool, others feasted, and some gathered to talk. After all, it had been a long time since they had seen each other.

As I sat there, I overheard a mother talking about her son, who was complaining about the hardships of his chosen career. What she said to her son (in Tagalog) caught my attention: "Alam mo anak, matalino talaga ang Diyos. Hindi Niya ginawang ganito lahat. Isipin mo kung businessman lahat na nagpapayaman, sino na gagawa nito?" ("You know, my child, God is truly wise. He didn’t make everyone the same. Imagine if everyone were a businessman trying to get rich—who would do all the other work?") and so on.

Each time I remember this, as I do today, I thank and praise God for His great and infinite wisdom, which cannot even be described as simply 'far better' than ours.

I often hear people complain about many things—whether at work, school, or in life, feeling they deserve better. And, well, there have been times when I have complained too, even if I didn’t voice it out. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I had never complained in my whole life.

Looking back, I realize that most of my complaints were the result of ungratefulness. Yes, life often feels unfair—work can be challenging, chores can be exhausting, and people may treat us unjustly and even talk behind our back. But what can we expect from a fallen world? What can we expect when, by nature, we chose to do evil, as demonstrated by Adam and Eve (Gen. 3)? While it is okay and normal to feel challenged and face moments of hardship that lead to disappointments, frustrations, and a sense of unfairness, we must always remember that all of life is but mercy and grace.

This truth should remind us to embrace our tasks and difficulties with a heart of gratitude, trusting in God’s plan. Ecclesiastes 3:9 and the following verses remind us of the universal truth that each of us has a God-given task that we must take pleasure in. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, we are asked to do all things for God's glory. To emphasize, especially if you are a professing Christian, we are called to work out our salvation by all means—by every faculty and aspect of our lives, such as doing our jobs faithfully and submitting to authority and earthly masters, as long as what they ask of us doesn’t go against God's Word. We are to endure all things, to do everything without grumbling or complaining—not to contribute to our salvation, for it is all by grace (Eph. 2:8)—but so that others may see the light and hope that is in us, . . . in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Phil. 2, Eph. 6).

What comfort and peace there is when we learn to fully trust Him, whose thoughts and ways are far higher and infinitely greater than ours (Isa. 55:8-9), with everything; and entrust to Him our everything.

Give it all to Him. As Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Our main goal is to make Jesus shine in all that we do and give glory to Him. Everything else is secondary and should still fulfill the main goal.

Finally, "Remember this: Had any other condition been better for you…", the Lord, in His mercy, would have placed you there. 

Photo retrieved from pinterest.com