By Staff
Work seems like an undesirable activity, but in truth, work defines, inspires, and fulfills us like nothing else.
God worked and is working. Some would ask us to believe that the universe with all living things just happened – on its own with no guidance or forethought. The Scriptures inform us in Genesis, chapter 2, verse 2, "On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done."
We know God made everything – He spoke and it happened. But in the process of creation, God also created complete order. God fashioned the heavens with expanse, and sized each component in perfect balance. Gravity and centrifugal force work together to hold everything in place. The size of the sun and its distance from earth, and the speed of light, were carefully calculated and crafted to be just right.
As God created everything, He created the science of its working also. We are still discovering God's science and concluding we do not know how it all works.
In the lofty creation work of God, man was God's crowning achievement. In Genesis, chapter 2, verse 7, "the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man [Adam] became a living being."
God prepared a place for Adam to work. Genesis, chapter 2, verse 8, says, "The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed." Verse 15 of Genesis 2 continues about Adam's work: "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."
Adam disobeyed God and part of the result of that sin was the corruption of work. God told Adam in Genesis, chapter 3, verses 17-19, that the ground was now cursed because of sin. There would be thorns and thistles, and there would be sweat, but work would still be the source of sustenance.
We live in a fallen world. Things are not as God originally created them. Work can be toilsome and the results of work will be consumed by thieves and corruption, but work is still God's activity for us. If we live to accumulate, we will be frustrated and disappointed, but if we live to experience His purposes in our labor, we will be rich beyond measure.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to earth to do the work of redemption. God desires to put man back in proper relationship and in proper environment. The work of Christ was to redeem. The place of Christ's work was the cross. When the task was finished – that is, the price of sin was paid – Jesus cried in the gospel of John, chapter 19, verse 30, "It is finished!" After burial and resurrection, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and taken back to Heaven to be with God the Father. His work was finished and He sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3).
We work at jobs, chores, etc., and in all that work, there is dignity in that we have accomplishment, fulfillment, and participation in advancing some task or endeavor. We also have power in work – the power to care for ourselves and for those whom we are responsible. The most important work for all is spoken of by Jesus in John, chapter 6, verse 29: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Nothing is more important than believing in Jesus Christ; not just about Him, but in Him.
Belief in Jesus Christ must change us and that is why it is work. We must be continually allowing God to stretch us to literally be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The work is persevering in belief.
We can look forward to hearing from the Lord at the end of our work: "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23).