Why Do We Work?

Monday, April 14, 2014

Work. What comes to mind when I say that word? How do you view your work?

Many of us are under the impression that God required us to work after the fall in the Garden of Eden. We may be living under the perception that work is punishment. We may see it as a necessary evil. How might this perception of work affect our attitude about work?
Work is NOT a necessary evil. God created us to work. He created us to work BEFORE Adam and Eve bit into the apple. After God created the earth and all that is therein, he placed us in charge of caring for it all. That is our work.
Our work is the action of taking care of things that God has entrusted us with.
With that definition of work, how might our thinking about work change? If work is the action of taking care of things, how can we flip our thinking about work? What does the “action of taking care of things” include? Work is the action of taking care of a lot of things: our home, our relationships, our children, our bodies, our social life, and the job we do for pay. Work is a whole host of things we do and involves the bigger picture of who we are. Work IS more than a job; it’s a lot of jobs, a lot of actions! Not only is work the action we do on a job, but it’s also the actions we do in everything that God has entrusted us with.

Our work is our relationship with everyone and everything that God has entrusted us with.

With this definition in mind, look at what this verse in Colossians says about how we approach our work.

·        Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Work as if we are working for the Lord. This means in all aspects of work, in all of our jobs.

When God created the world, he created work. When God created us, he created for specific work, a specific purpose. We are designed to make an impact on the world in everything we think, feel, say, and do. Our work is the action we use to accomplish our purpose. Our paying job is one way we work. Everything else we do is a part of our work too. We are to do all of it as if we are doing it for the Lord.

It is our responsibility to determine who we are in him, what our God-given purpose is and what the work is we’ve been given. Galatians 6:4 tells us, "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you've been given." (The Message)

As we think about our work, let us explore who we are and the work we’ve been given to do. Let us pay careful attention to our God-given purpose and how we live in our purpose whether we are working at our paying job or working in all other aspects of our lives.

·        Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 (NASB)