How would you work differently if you worked directly for God? Imagine it. You turn up to work Monday morning and pop your head into God's office to say good morning. Later on God joins everyone for a quick morning tea break. At the end of the day God calls you into His office for a quick report on what you've done during the day. How do you think that this would change the way that you work? Would you work harder? Would you not waste as much time?
This is not some ridiculous exercise of the imagination. The truth is that this is the way that the Bible describes our work. Work is not something evil invented by humans to make money, work is something given directly by God to mankind. In fact prior to the fall, right from the point of man's creation, God gave him work to do. In Genesis 1:28 God says, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Notice that after God creates man and gives him work to do He concludes that all He made was very good. Everything that God had made, including the work that He had given to man to do, was very good. God is the one who invented work and He made it as something good.
So why is our work so difficult? The answer lies in the next few chapters of Genesis. After being created, given work, blessed with a wife, placed in a garden paradise and enjoying an intimate relationship with God, man chooses to sin against God by breaking His one explicit command, not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequences of this action are terrible: no longer will he enjoy eternal life in the garden in intimate relationship with God, instead he is cast out, cursed to one day die apart from God. Even his work is affected. God curses the ground making all his labour difficult and painful (Genesis 3:17). A curse which endures to this day and continues to make our work difficult.
This is the burden that Solomon writes about in verse 10. God has given mankind work to do, work which is difficult and oftentimes burdensome because of man's sin. Despite this difficulty work is a good thing which God has given to mankind.
Colossians 3 shows us the implications of all this. Paul is writing to the Colossians about how Christian households should operate as a result of God's grace to them. Writing to slaves Paul writes a profound principal of work which applies to all Christians: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” (Colossians 3:2)
How would you work differently if you worked directly for God? This isn't a crazy question. The truth is that no matter who our earthly boss is, no matter what work we do or how hard we work we are working directly for God. Everything we do we are to do as for Him and one day we will be called into His office to give a final account for our work. How will you work differently today?
Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
ª Pray for Extreme Week Holiday Kids Club beginning at Christlife today. Pray that many community children would come along to hear about Jesus and His love for them. Pray that families would be touched by the love shown to them by the church and that we would see many people come to faith in Christ this week.
ª Pray for the staff and volunteers involved in Extreme Week. Pray that God would give them wisdom and energy throughout this week. Pray that they would be gracious, kind and loving towards the children as they demonstrate God's love by their actions.
My Additional Prayer Points.
1/.
2/.
1. In what ways should you work differently if you worked directly for God?
2. Working for God not only affects how we work but also what we do. How do you think working for God should influence your choice of career?
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