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Think about this: grace and works are often seen in tension as it relates to the nature of receiving salvation. Play and work are seen as opposites. Does this imply a common relation between grace and play? This has been a helpful place to think and pray. Listen to this quotation from a recent book on the theme of play:
“…work that is devoid of play is either boring or a grind. We can get pretty far through sheer will-power, and some people have prodigious powers of perfectionism, self‑denial, and suffering. Ultimately, though, people cannot succeed in rising to the highest levels of their field if they don’t enjoy what they are doing, if they don’t make time for play. Having a fierce dedication to grinding out the work is often not enough. Without some sense of fun or play, people usually can’t make themselves stick to any discipline long enough to master it.” (Brown, Stuart. Play. New York: Penguin Group, 2009, p. 142-43.)
When you look at your own work, how much playfulness and joy do you experience? How much “want to” versus “have to” is there in what motivates you? How might God be wanting to remind you of the “want to” that underlies the work you do?
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