In an earlier posting, Does God Work? we visited the Garden of Eden. The word “Eden”, translated, means pleasure or delight, and God created the garden as a blessing to man. At that point, perfection, there was no pain or suffering. But how can that be if man was required to work? “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” The answer lies in knowing that at that point, work was an enjoyable experience; there was no clock-watching.
It might surprise some that scripture also explains that we'll have work in Heaven. But like Eden before the fall, the work will be perfectly suited to us, and joyful. Consider this quote from Author Randy Alcorn from his book Heaven. “We’ll also have work to do, satisfying and enriching work that we can’t wait to get back to, work that’ll never be drudgery”.
Ask A Mom
Work after the fall comes with thorns and thistles, but God didn’t take away the command for it. It’s hard to imagine that he is pleased with 7 million American men between the ages of 25 and 54 who are not working or looking for work at a time when many employers are begging for help (if the reporting is correct). We call to mind 2 Thessalonians 3: 10-11 “…If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” Of course, the Bible is about context, and there are possible exceptions that we won’t deal with here. Also, work is not always defined by a paycheck; just ask any mom this Mother’s Day.
Eyes on the Prize
We are called to obedience while we cling to God’s promises. If, through God’s grace, we keep perspective on how short our time here really is, and think about how long eternity really is, it can keep things in perspective. The writer of the hymn, Amazing Grace, gave us this illustration. Suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate, and his [carriage] should break down a mile before he got to the city, which obliged him to walk the rest of the way; what a fool we should think him, if we saw him ringing his hands, and blubbering out all the remaining mile, “My [carriage] is broken! My [carriage] is broken!” (Richard Cecil, Memoirs of the Rev. John Newton, in The Works of the Rev. John Newton, 108)
The Apostle Paul was a tentmaker and preacher. He was beaten, imprisoned, and had his feet shackled, yet he responded by singing hymns. (Acts 16:16-24). He wrote, “For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). Paul had perspective in spades.
So many of us lack joy because we don't feel fulfilled in our work. It's, of course, okay to consider change, but we should not feel cheated if we don't find the perfect job. Feeling fulfilled in a career can be like "chasing the wind" as Solomon experienced. As one of the most “accomplished” men in history, he looked back on his life’s work with disgust because he had forgotten God. (Check out our blog "Chasing the Wind", about Solomon, here). A key takeaway is to make God our passion and honor him with whatever work is before us. God uses people, often those in lowly positions who are faithful, to do important things. Someday, we can ask Ruth, Nehemiah, Joseph, and Daniel about that.
Doctors and Crossing Guards
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Martin Luther King wrote: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” When Jesus commanded us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, he said a second one is like it, to love our neighbors like ourselves (Matthew 22: 34-49). Work of every kind can serve as a vehicle for love. At the City of Hope Hospital, the doctors and nurses recently treated our loved one’s brain cancer with kindness and expertise. About a hundred yards away, a remarkable crossing guard greeted visitors and patients each day with smiles, laughter, singing, and joy.
Retirement might sound dreamy, but the concept is largely cultural. We may not want (or be able) to do the same work at 80 as we did at 40, but we should give adequate consideration to how we might be used by God in our later years. Volunteering might be one option. We like John Piper's short book Rethinking Retirement.
In summary, God tells us to work, and things go better when we listen. Whatever work we do, we should work as though God is with us (because he is), and that our effort is first and foremost for him. Through our work, we are serving and loving others. Even when there is pain or dissatisfaction in work, a deepening relationship with God and an eternal perspective will allow us to not only endure but experience joy.
Prayer Lord, thank you for the work you do in my life, and for your grace. This makes me more thankful for the work and the opportunities that you provide to me today, and to remain focused on keeping you in the center of everything that I do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
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