THE WORK IS GOOD, AGAIN
John Gibson
Today’s Scripture: “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, ESV
Theme: Motivation matters. For what and for whom do you toil, work, improve, and create?
IN THE BEGINNING
Imagine Adam working in the garden of Eden. It seems whimsical; a heavenly place of healthy vegetation and massive trees, created fresh—like three-days-ago fresh-bright green, with tropical colors on fruit we can’t even imagine. It was God’s masterpiece of flowers, trees, and lush grass that never needed fertilizer. It must have been quite a lot of work, because God decided He wanted a helper, a caretaker.
Adam and Eve worked for the Lord, and it brought Him – and them – joy. God’s work was complete; it was day seven and He was resting. He set an example for us: work hard but take a day of rest each week. Work is good, but rest is also necessary. Then the whole snake/fruit/sin/exile happened—what was good now became bad. Working the garden was the task God blessed mankind with, but to be clear, He didn’t create us to work. He created us to bring Him glory. We weren’t created to be an ant farm to shake up and watch just for laughs. Well, that’s a topic for another devotion.
When the fall happened and Adam and Eve were banished from the garden, God told them that the soil that created them would be cursed. The work would continue, but it would be toilsome, painful, and marked by resistance from the ground. In Genesis, we read how God fundamentally changed the standard of how work would be: “And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, “You shall not eat of it,” cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return’” Genesis 3:17–19 (ESV).
What was once joyful, easy, fruitful, and pleasant is now hard and painful. The soil is cursed and resistant, and the toil is challenging even at its best. Sin changed it all.
OUR CURRENT SITUATION
But God.
God, over the millennia, saw our plight: our dysfunction, envy, greed, and the pride that caused meaningless death and destruction. He saw how we suffered on our own, greedily grabbing and stealing life and worthless earthly treasures. His creation was sinful, full of pride and greed; His good creation had rotted to the core. So, He sent His Son, and redemption was incarnated through the Son of Man, Jesus.
Salvation changes everything. Instead of hopelessness, I have a life full of hope and grace. I have a Savior who made a way, a path of salvation, fulfillment, purpose, peace, love, and joy. Instead of work, I have been commissioned by the one true God to share the Gospel of His Son Jesus. I have—we all have—a mission in this life, and our workplace is the field in which we work. The soil may be resistant; the labor may be hard, but the harvest is plentiful. This world is ripe for saving; people are hungry for truth, love, peace, and purpose. The work that was good but became accursed is now redeemed in Christ.
Make It Personal: Work is good; God is good. Who has God put in your workplace who needs to hear the truth of Jesus Christ? Obedience as a Christ follower starts with knowing that every day, God will provide a way for you to bring Him glory. Because when that moment, person, or opportunity presents itself, you need to be obedient and do what He asks. When was the last time you knew that God was asking you to take a step of faith? How will you respond next time?
Pray: Father God, thank You for the honor of representing You in every office, warehouse, farm, and classroom. Everywhere we go, we carry something that can radically change a life, a family, generations of a family, or a community for eternity. Everything we do—no matter where we work or what we do—has a primary purpose: to bring You glory, and we do that by worshipping. We sing, we pray, we baptize, we celebrate Your goodness, mercy, and grace in our lives. Help us with the conviction and desire to bring You glory through our redeemed mission—no pride, no envy, no greed. Just joy, compassion, and mercy as we reach people and make disciples. The work is good; You are good. Help us to be faithful to both mission and Sabbath with the sincerity and conviction of honoring You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read: Psalm 27:1; Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 2:11-13
Weekly Memory Verse: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8, ESV