GENESIS 2:1-3: “So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” NLT

OBSERVATION: “I’d rather be fishing,” was the bumper sticker on the car in front of me. Another familiar one is, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” Is work a drudgery that we have to endure in this life, or is it a gift from God? In a culture that promotes leisure, work has become something many people dread rather than embrace as a gift.

When we read the opening chapters of the Bible, we see the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit actively at work creating the world. Each day of creation was filled with wonders as God created the heavens and the earth. It was a work filled with purpose and design. At the end of each day’s work, God looked at what He had created and declared,

“It is Good!”

After six days of working, God rested on the seventh day. He declared the seventh day holy. The Sabbath was part of God’s covenant with man and was the reward for man’s work. Jesus said that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man. In other words, God’s creative purpose for man is that he would be productive in his work for six days and rest fully on the seventh.

If God works, so should we. It is part of our created purpose. When God created man, He said,

Genesis 1:27-28: “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” NLT

Man was created to be creative and productive!

Work was both a calling and a gift from God. Without meaningful work, man is incomplete. All one has to do is look at the effects of a welfare state that elevates government handouts and diminishes the call to find meaning and fulfillment in a good day’s work. Without work, man is incomplete, and his life is robbed of meaning.

Every productive society needs a strong work ethic. A strong work ethic begins with understanding that work is a gift from God. To be creative and productive in life is built into our spiritual and emotional DNA. Without meaningful work, a man becomes lazy, self-centered, and prone to filling his time with things that lead to brokenness and destruction. David fell into sin with Bathsheeba when he failed to do his work as a King and stayed home to lounge around on the roof!

When we view work as a gift from God, we find purpose in what we do and who we do it with. Work is not a curse that we have to endure but a privilege in which we are engaged. Work becomes a holy vocation where we use our gifts and talents in helping others and being productive. We don’t moan as we get out of bed to spend another day of drudgery. We give thanks to God for His gift that enables us to find fulfillment and earn provision for our family.

Many dream of retirement, only to find that they are bored and lonely. I have read of many who die shortly after they retire because their life no longer has meaning. It is not the specific vocation that gives our life meaning. We will all one day stop doing a job that we have held during our lifetime. It is the call to be productive and use our gifts and talents in helping others. It is this call to holy vocation and work that brings meaning!

As a retired pastor, I no longer have the joy of leading a local congregation. Yet, I am engaging my time and talents in a redirected holy vocation. I am using my time to write, get involved in my church, promote Jesus, and help others. I do consulting twice a week and have the joy of choosing a variety of projects and activities each week. Without these opportunities for holy vocation, my life would have little meaning. Instead, my life is filled with new joy and purpose!

I love to work.

I love the work that I have done in the past and the work that God is allowing me to do in the present. I see work as a gift from God, and I awake each morning with joy to get started with His work. My grandfather taught me to give my all to everything I put my hand to, and this work ethic has carried me throughout my life.

Work is God’s gift to all to find His will, fulfillment, and purpose for our lives.

As we look forward to a New Year, I wonder if we need to do some soul-searching and recalibration of our attitude toward our work. If we are in a job that we do not enjoy, then we should come before the Lord and ask Him to either give us joy for this job or to open a new door in the coming year. However, in the process, we should wake up each day and give thanks to the Lord for the ability to go to work. It is His gift, His calling, and His provision. And, it is our privilege and joy!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of working. Help me to rise each day and give myself to being productive in all I do and a blessing to others. Help me to rejoice in the work of my hands, promote Jesus, and help others! Thank You for Your wonderful gift.

I love to work!

In Jesus’ Name!