1 Kings 6:11-14
"11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
14 So Solomon built the house and finished it."
These brief verses imbedded in the technical details of Solomon's building programme have a particular significance in relation to the completion of the work. The operative word is in 14 - 'So Solomon built... ', that is to say, he did the work in the light of God's word to him and all that was done from beginning to end was conditioned and inspired by that word. It is this which gives meaning to life and work, whether it be specifically religious work or belong- ing to the ordinary secular duties of everyday life. It is a vision of God that gives character and integrity to what we do, and lack of it has been the means of endangering the whole economic and social structure of national life in our day. Nowhere can the disastrous effects of the lack of true religion be seen more clearly than in industry today, where the inferior workmanship that this has caused and the 'couldn't-care-less' attitude that has lost almost all its pride in quality production have all but paralysed some industries and are in danger of crippling others to such an extent that the Government has had to make drastic enquiry into the situation. The objection so often made by the unchurched masses is that religion has no practical relevance to daily life, but it is now becoming painfully and frighteningly clear that lack of it is having very serious practical consequences in our nation's life. It is as true today as it was in olden time that 'where there is no vision the people perish'.