Serving God, not Pharaoh

I guess it is the same in any line of work, but when we pursue excellence in our academic research, it is hard not to be swept away in the current of the age pursuing self-glory and riches. I am currently studying Exodus with the help of the Life-Study. I very much appreciate seeing that the spiritual significance of the plagues of Egypt was that God was unveiling to His people the true nature of the world. In man's eyes, the world produces great monuments that are invaluable for human living. However, in reality, Satan is the Pharaoh that usurps us by enslaving us to our jobs so that rather than living to build God's dwelling place, the tabernacle, we live to build Satan's kingdom. Thus, we should be those who do our work faithfully as serving God, not serving men, to receive God's provision for our legitimate human needs, not to build up the glory of Satan's earthly kingdom by being enslaved to our careers.