Everyone has a differing view on work. Some people would say that it’s a curse (courtesy of Adam & Eve). Others would say it’s a necessary evil. Some overwork. Some underwork. Considering that you’re working full-time. That is 38 hours per week, 152 hours per month, and 1824 hours per year. That means we spend one-third of our lives working. If such is the case, wouldn’t it be prudent to know what the Bible says about work?

God worked, and delighted in His work

In Timothy Keller’s book Every Good Endeavour, Professor Keller explores the concept of work from a Biblical perspective, arguing that work is not merely a means to an end nor an end in itself, but rather a fundamental aspect of human nature and a form of worship. In this article, we’re going to look at God’s initial design for man’s work.

The Book of Genesis says that the whole of God’s creation is His work. The Scripture also mentions that God not only worked but also delighted in it. “God saw all that He made, and it was very good… the Heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 1:31, 2:1). 

In the 2nd chapter of Genesis, it is stated that God worked not only to create but also to care for His creation. This is called God’s providence. He created us and He is also our Provider. The whole Bible says that God cares for the world by watering and cultivating the ground (Psalm 104:10-22), giving food, giving help to those who suffer, and caring for every creature’s needs (Psalm 145:14-16).

Work as God’s good design for men

When God created mankind, He designated humans to continue His work. “Fill the earth and subdue it” Genesis 1:18. ‘Subdue’ here means that although all God had made was good, it was still undeveloped. This implies that while God is our Provider, we also work for Him. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder’s labour is in vain” Psalm 127:1. 

Therefore, from the Book of Genesis we can infer that our work and labour are part of paradise, and that God’s plan for men has always included work to be an integral purpose of our lives (in the constant cycle of work and rest). 

However, our distorted view of work has made us believe that work was a product of the fall (of Adam). The truth is work is a part of the Garden of Eden’s blessings. Work is one of our basic physical needs. Without meaning, we’d feel empty. 

The irony is that people who think that retirement is their ultimate life goal, find that being cut off from work will result in utter disappointment in the end. Biblically speaking, we don’t need the money from work to survive, but we need the work itself to survive and live.

We tend to assume that freedom equates to the absence of any constraints. Now imagine this, when we free a fish from its habitat (water), the fish will die in a matter of minutes. Thus, we can infer that freedom is not the absence of any constraints, but freedom is about being in the right one that is not violating the law’s nature. 

So when God commanded us in the Ten Commandments “Six days you shall labour and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9), this is an invitation to freedom.

Of course, there is more to life than work. We can’t lead a meaningful life without work but we cannot make work become the Meaning of our life.

But if we were to make work the ultimate meaning of our lives, we would make it an idol that rivals God. Our relationship with God is the vortex of our lives, everything else revolves around it (such as family, friends, and work). 

In the hustle culture we live in, we’ve been socially conditioned since we were young into thinking that we should feel guilty when we’re not being productive (according to worldly standards). This has resulted in us to look at everything based on efficiency, value and speed. Sometimes it’s a learnt process to delight in things that aren’t inherently “useful”. To do this, we need to rest and take time to enjoy the fruit of our labour. Just like the saying, sometimes we need to stop and smell the roses. 

Even our Lord, Jesus Christ worked as a carpenter on earth before He fulfilled His purpose to die on the cross for our sins. Make no mistake that our brief lives on this earth necessitate us to work. In summary, work is an integral component of our lives. It is God’s gift to us. However, to not overwork and idolise it, work must be subservient to God. In a fallen world, we can easily conclude that we should simply avoid work completely or endure it. There is no better time to know this Truth so that we may have a balanced life between work and rest. May everything that we do (especially our work), is for God’s glory alone. Soli Deo Gloria.