Memory Text: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23, 24, NKJV).
We Were Designed to Work
Most people consider work a burden, and wish they were wealthy enough not need to work. Many plan carefully to be financially able to retire as soon as possible, preferable in their fifties. But God created us to work. Even before the Fall, Adam was given work to do:
“And to Adam was given the work of caring for the Garden. The Creator knew that Adam could not be happy without employment. The beauty of the Garden delighted him, but this was not enough. He must have labor to call into exercise the wonderful organs of the body. Had happiness consisted in doing nothing, man, in his state of holy innocence, would have been left unemployed. But He who created man knew what would be for his happiness; and no sooner had He created him, than He gave him his appointed work.” — Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, p. 223.
Adam’s work was more than tending to the garden; he was also called to name the animals,to be the governor of this planet, and to be the husband of Eve, who was created to be Adam’s helper in all of his tasks. Of course these tasks were not burdensome; before the entrance of sin, they were a joy and a privilege.
Even today, after the curse (“Cursed is the ground because of you; through toil shall you eat of it . . . By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground . . .” Gen. 3:17-19) we still need to be occupied with productive tasks in order to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
If we do not have regular employment, things tend to go bad, quickly. We watch too much television, we eat too much and exercise too little, gaining weight, and we find we are not sleeping at the correct times because we are not on a normal schedule. Self-esteem plunges, depression and lassitude ensue.
Whatever our calling is, we are to commit to it and do it with vigor and excellence, in order to glorify God in our lives. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Eccl. 9:10. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Col. 3:23. Our full time occupation is not just a job, it is our vocation, literally our “calling” meaning what the Almighty has called us to do.
Obviously, God never calls people to lie, cheat, steal, embezzle, defraud, con, overcharge, or otherwise harm anyone in the course of business. (Lev. 19:35-36; Prov. 11:1; 12:22; 16:11; 20:10, 23; Amos 8:4-8; Micah 6:10-13; Hosea 12:7-8: Jer. 22:13; Eph. 4:28) A good name is more important than short-term gain (Prov. 22:1); honesty and fairness in business is the way not only to glorify God but also to long-term prosperity (Prov. 11:3; 13:11).
Typically when children are born, fathers increase their participation in the money economy in order to support the family, while mothers withdraw from heavy work demands outside the home in order to concentrate on raising the children. Scripture couldn’t be any clearer that a man who does not support his family is not a Christian: “But if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for those of his household [and children], he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Tim. 5:8.
Women err when they imagine that their calling must be to compete with men in a high-stress career; A woman who raises her children and “minds her house” with skill and diligence wins great honor. Proverbs 31:10-31. Despite the bill of goods feminists have sold “restless modern Eves,” most women find joy and fulfillment in the traditional arrangement.
Christian labor should not involve worry. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Mat. 6:26. God knows our situation, and if we are diligent in our work and faithful to Him, he will not let us starve. So put aside worry, fear, anxiety, and let God be in charge of what we cannot control.