Tuesdays with Jacob

Read Genesis 29:14-18 – And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” (NKJV)

What are you working for? Scenarios like Jacob’s don’t unfold in our lives, but knowing what you’re working for is a critical piece of happiness. Too many people give their lives to daily routine. Many establish a rhythm and go through the motions of daily expectations, never stopping to ask if it really matters. Some do stop and ask. In what some might label as a mid-life crisis, men awaken to the destination of their current road, and begin to rethink the whole journey. Some make catastrophic changes, all in the desire to chase something else. Start living each day with a keen sense of “why” and you’ll likely be able to avoid sudden shifts in direction in the future. Of course, if you’ve already traveled through mid-life, you know how essential it can be to know what you’re working for.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.