The Purpose of Work

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

How are you celebrating your Labor Day?
Do you have a carefree day planned without work?
Do you know the true meaning of this holiday?

And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands —yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. – Psalm 90:17 (AMPC)

The Purpose of Work

In the late 1800s, Labor Day began in New York City with the Central Labor Union as a means to unify union workers and reduce the hours spent at work. It was more than a day off. It was the beginning of advocacy for fewer hours in the workweek. As we relax and reflect today, we look to discuss the purpose of work and understand why God created it.

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.  – Genesis 2:15 (NKJV)

Growing up in a family that had plenty but did not always steward it well, with a mother who worked very hard but did not demand the same of her children, my attitude towards work was a negative one.
I viewed work as something that unhappy adults used to punish children and take the joy out of their lives. I loved to play and have fun, and work always seemed to interfere with those objectives.

In addition to seeing work as a punishment, I was also convinced that it was a curse. I thought that no loving God could or would ever impose work on children that He loved. In fact, in my mind, the one exciting aspect of becoming an adult was that I would finally be able to choose not to work and that no adult could force work upon me. 

However, that was many years before my family faced a financial crisis that forced me to reevaluate my life, my priorities, and my attitude. It was a crisis that caused me to finally reject the spirit of entitlement. I had viewed life from that perspective long before I ever became a Christian and began to learn God’s original plan for work and the true joy of work. 

For the entrepreneur, work is essential to building a profitable business. Unfortunately, so many entrepreneurs see work solely as a tool that enables them to accomplish their business objectives and get the most out of their employees. For employees, work is essential to receive a salary, but so many employees work just enough to earn only the salary they need. This attitude toward work hinders our ability to experience the redemptive power of labor and the joy that it can bring into our lives. 

Why do we work? Is work a curse from God and a consequence of our sin? How does work fit into God’s overall plan for our lives? Genesis 2:15 tells us that Adam was instructed by God to tend the Garden of Eden. God’s purpose in instructing Adam to tend the garden was that it would be a fulfilling, rewarding, and pleasant experience that would give meaning to Adam’s life. Before the fall, God planted and watered, gave the increase, and walked in the garden with Adam and Eve.

As the instruction to work was given before the fall, we can see that work itself was not a result of the fall. However – Genesis 3:17-19 tells us that the ground was cursed because of sin and that man will still eat from it, but “by means of painful labor” and “by the sweat of (his) brow”.

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:17-19

While sin has made work more painful and difficult for those who do not know God, when sinful men turn to God, work can once again become fulfilling, rewarding, and purposeful. We can rediscover God’s purpose for our lives through our work and God can be greatly glorified through our work; no matter what type of task we are called to fulfill. 

Our work, when dedicated to God, can influence every sphere of human culture through the wise stewardship of His resources and the promotion of His presence and precepts. And – the redemptive purposes of work that is dedicated to God can be seen through the Gospel narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.

Work is any activity involving mental and physical efforts that are designed to serve others and express our gratitude to God. While work does bring provision, it is designed to be an act of worship to our God (the Hebrew word “avodah” translated as “work” in Genesis 2:15 can also mean “worship” and “service”) and an expression of our calling and gifting (Ephesians 2:10). 

Work is one of the ways we can demonstrate our love for God and others. If we see it solely as a means to generate provision, we will miss the true purpose and deny ourselves the greater fulfillment that work was designed to give us.

In their book “Why Work? Called to Make a Difference,” Nancy and Howard Olsen state that “work is a gift God has given us. He has divinely appointed tasks for us – tasks that not only glorify Him but also satisfy our needs as well. God’s plan for work is a win-win situation.” 

Here are some of the benefits that work can bring to our lives:

1. It allows us to express our purpose, which is to worship our Creator
2. It allows us to serve others
3. It allows us to provide for our needs and the needs of others
4. It builds our character
5. It creates opportunities for others
6. It enables us to have so that we can give
7. It is a source of fulfillment and a cure for depression

So, if work has so many benefits, why then do so many people not embrace it?

They are either the way I was as a child, looking to someone else to provide everything to them with no effort from them, which leads to a mentality of “entitlement” – or – they are not working as unto the Lord and are therefore unable to tap into the rest that Jesus promised.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV)

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the wisdom to align your work with His will so that you may experience the joy and satisfaction that work can bring. Happy Labor Day!