The Value of Work
The Bible has a lot to say about work. It’s surprising, maybe, that the scriptures speak so much about it. The first clue we have about work is God. He worked on creating everything at the beginning of Earth’s time (Genesis 1:31). God saw that His work was good. We also know that He took six days to create everything, and He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Thus, the prime emphasis for people is to work (Genesis 2:15).
Folks in the U. S. know the need for work to support the family, pay bills, and enjoy life’s blessings. Like anything else, though, some don’t like to work and won’t work. God has some things to say about that, too.
God expects us to be stewards of the earth. A steward is someone who takes care of things for others. For example, a grocery store clerk takes care of the store for the owner. Anyone who works is doing it for someone else. Even if we think we’re working for ourselves, we’re really working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24 shows that we’re to work for Him. All work we do is done to and for the Lord. Work is God-designed.
Consider we meet someone who’s down on their luck. Maybe they’re penniless; maybe they need a hand up. God says we should work so that we have resources to help the needy (Ephesians 4:28).
There’s value in work. Proverbs 14:23 shows a comparison between hard work and those who merely talk about it. Talking won’t accomplish goals, but action will. For sure, there’s a time for planning and discussion, but after that, the work begins. Then again, Proverbs 12:11 emphasizes that those who work their land will have abundant food. Work is productive. Productivity means producing something. The keyword there is produce, the outcome of work.
Meeting Needs. God proclaims that those who will not work shall not eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12. We work to meet our physical needs. We also work to support the Lord’s efforts in a local congregation (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). First Timothy 6:6-8 shows that we are to be content with the fruit of our labor. It also gives a warning about the pursuit of wealth. It’s not wrong to have money work for you, as interest-bearing instruments. However, going to extremes in chasing money brings many sorrows.
Let’s be content with what we have. Let’s do our work with gladness of heart as unto the Lord. The key is to work and trust the Lord in everything.
The Perspective of Work. “The Preacher” says that work is vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19), meaning you’ll work all your life and then leave all your possessions to others as you pass. On the other hand, the same book, at 3:13, states that work is a gift from God.
Work is valuable when it’s aligned with God’s purposes.
Garland Van Dyke
Matthews St. church of Christ, 1905 Matthews St., Bay City, TX, 77414
Email: garland.churchofchrist@gmail.com