How Does God View Work?

How does God view work? The Bible gives us some insight into this, so let’s look.

First is that God did not give us work as a punishment. We can say he gave it is a gift in Gen 2:15

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Then God had him name the animals and Eve.

When God led the Israelites in the desert, He gave them manna. He could have just put it in their jars each morning. He chose to scatter it on the ground and then gave them the work to collect it and prepare it for eating. Think if they had no work in the desert? God loved them enough to give them work.   He does the same for us. Even in the 10 commandments, he gave us the command to work on 6 days. We might note that God saw they might work too much and so commanded them to rest. Both are from God. He also works and rests.

Jesus worked and his parables showed people working. The soldiers ask John the Baptist what they should be doing, and he said they could keep being soldiers and do it honorably.

In Genesis 3 at the fall of Man, God made the work frustrating and said there would be weeds.  Most people will not surrender to God unless they have enough troubles. Thus, the frustrating work causes us to pray and not leave God. As sinners, we need that reminder to come back to God. However, work is a blessing to each of us.

Think of Bill Gates. Does he need to work? No, he needs no money. Why does he work? God made him like us to need work. Work is a blessing that has weeds.

In the Middle Ages, little economic growth occurred in Europe. One problem was all the best and most talented people went to the church to work. People felt other professions were not as holy.

How Does God View Work and Different Work?

Martin Luther re-emphasized that all honorable work was of equal value before God as noted in the image. John the Baptist told soldiers and Paul worked making tents.  Each person has a different gift in talent, and so people could honorably go into other professions and know God could smile at them too. God loves us all and made us each different.

I started my own business in 2009 when I was working for an Evangelical Christian who did business by lying, cheating, and occassionally stealing. I could not bear helping him get customers by my honesty who he would then cheat in Jesus name.  So I think that is another consideration in work. God wants us to do things excellently and honestly like He does. Then, we can remind people of God.

So I think the main point with God is whether we do something honestly and the best we can. Those are the key standards.

So work is something good, but we sometimes cannot thank God for it especially if we have a bad boss. Let’s see that all work is valuable if done with all our heart before God.(Col 3:23)

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.