"[T]hat the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:17, ESV).
"[E]ach one's work will become manifest..." (1 Cor. 3:13, ESV).
"For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do" (Heb. 6:10, ESV).
"...bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10, ESV).
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28, ESV).
Jesus said that He had "accomplished the work that [God] gave [him] to do" (cf. John 17:4, ESV). We are all here for a purpose, we are not to just take up space without purpose, but part of our dignity from being in the image of God is to find meaning in work. This begs the question: Are we living or merely existing? We don't work for work's sake, as if we are workaholics, but to glorify God--Augustine said that to work is to worship! Martin Luther first brought dignity to manual labor when he said it could be done to the glory of God--previously it had been held in contempt. When we fulfill the purpose God has for us we are headed to glory as David had fulfilled all the will of God and when he had fulfilled God's purpose he was laid to rest in peace (cf. Acts 13:36).
Man is hard-wired for work and is not meant for idleness, which can destroy his soul (cf. Neh. 6:3, NLT: "...'I am engaged in a great work...'"). We have a need for meaningful work, and also to glorify God in it. Jesus knew what hard work was and how to get down and dirty with the men. When he took off his cloak and got a towel to wash the disciples' feet, this was a chore only fit for non-Jewish slaves. But the true message is that we should never think some task or chore is beneath our dignity, honor, or status. We need to be ambitious, but not in a selfish manner. Cursed is the one who is slack in the Lord's work (cf. Ezekiel 48:10). The work ethic is largely the result of Protestantism and it can be clearly seen in Scripture.
Note the Jews in Nehemiah, who "had a mind to work!" (Cf. Nehemiah 4:6). In other words, they worked with enthusiasm or spunk! Actually, enthusiasm means to put God into something--how fitting a word! Just like our spiritual gifts, in that we should not get elitist and think we have a superior gift, but stay humble and faithful to our God-given assignment in the Lord, so we are not to look down on any laborer whose work is done in the name of the Lord. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that if we are unwilling to work or don't have time for it, we shouldn't eat either. This verse was quoted by Captain John Smith in Jamestown, our first permanent settlement in America by the British.
Sometimes it seems there is nothing to do, but there is always the Lord's work and Ecclesiastes says it bluntly: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV). In doing your work, it's paramount that you have the right mindset, that you're doing it to the glory of God. Three workers were asked what they were doing: The first said he was laying bricks; the second that he was earning so much an hour; the third said he was building a cathedral! Now, don't you see that if you see things clearly with God's viewpoint you can find purpose and meaning in any task? Also note: Brother Lawrence, known for his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, writes that he can communicate with God no matter what his chore is, even while washing dishes he multi-tasked and kept his communication channel or dialogue with God going and open.
Even in mental health facilities, they have "work therapy" to give purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to patients and to gauge their progress towards therapeutic mental hygiene. Note: We never really retire from the Lord's work and should always be ready to do His bidding and will; the reason so many feel bored after retirement is that they never equated the two (God's will and work for us that is bigger than our lives). In other words, we should invest our life in something that will outlast it and set our goals so that we can serve God no matter what happens.
To sum up, all work can be done to glorify God (cf. Col. 3:17,23) and we can enter into God's labor and enjoy His food or find fulfillment, i.e., to do the will of God as we accomplish His work (cf. John 4:34), as nothing we do for the Lord will be in vain, but be rewarded. God gave the work order to Adam and Eve to till the garden; therefore work is no curse. We reflect God's glory in our work, and so Haggai 2:4 exhorts us to "work" for God is with us! Soli Deo Gloria!
"[E]ach one's work will become manifest..." (1 Cor. 3:13, ESV).
"For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do" (Heb. 6:10, ESV).
"...bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10, ESV).
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28, ESV).
Jesus said that He had "accomplished the work that [God] gave [him] to do" (cf. John 17:4, ESV). We are all here for a purpose, we are not to just take up space without purpose, but part of our dignity from being in the image of God is to find meaning in work. This begs the question: Are we living or merely existing? We don't work for work's sake, as if we are workaholics, but to glorify God--Augustine said that to work is to worship! Martin Luther first brought dignity to manual labor when he said it could be done to the glory of God--previously it had been held in contempt. When we fulfill the purpose God has for us we are headed to glory as David had fulfilled all the will of God and when he had fulfilled God's purpose he was laid to rest in peace (cf. Acts 13:36).
Man is hard-wired for work and is not meant for idleness, which can destroy his soul (cf. Neh. 6:3, NLT: "...'I am engaged in a great work...'"). We have a need for meaningful work, and also to glorify God in it. Jesus knew what hard work was and how to get down and dirty with the men. When he took off his cloak and got a towel to wash the disciples' feet, this was a chore only fit for non-Jewish slaves. But the true message is that we should never think some task or chore is beneath our dignity, honor, or status. We need to be ambitious, but not in a selfish manner. Cursed is the one who is slack in the Lord's work (cf. Ezekiel 48:10). The work ethic is largely the result of Protestantism and it can be clearly seen in Scripture.
Note the Jews in Nehemiah, who "had a mind to work!" (Cf. Nehemiah 4:6). In other words, they worked with enthusiasm or spunk! Actually, enthusiasm means to put God into something--how fitting a word! Just like our spiritual gifts, in that we should not get elitist and think we have a superior gift, but stay humble and faithful to our God-given assignment in the Lord, so we are not to look down on any laborer whose work is done in the name of the Lord. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that if we are unwilling to work or don't have time for it, we shouldn't eat either. This verse was quoted by Captain John Smith in Jamestown, our first permanent settlement in America by the British.
Sometimes it seems there is nothing to do, but there is always the Lord's work and Ecclesiastes says it bluntly: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV). In doing your work, it's paramount that you have the right mindset, that you're doing it to the glory of God. Three workers were asked what they were doing: The first said he was laying bricks; the second that he was earning so much an hour; the third said he was building a cathedral! Now, don't you see that if you see things clearly with God's viewpoint you can find purpose and meaning in any task? Also note: Brother Lawrence, known for his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, writes that he can communicate with God no matter what his chore is, even while washing dishes he multi-tasked and kept his communication channel or dialogue with God going and open.
Even in mental health facilities, they have "work therapy" to give purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to patients and to gauge their progress towards therapeutic mental hygiene. Note: We never really retire from the Lord's work and should always be ready to do His bidding and will; the reason so many feel bored after retirement is that they never equated the two (God's will and work for us that is bigger than our lives). In other words, we should invest our life in something that will outlast it and set our goals so that we can serve God no matter what happens.
To sum up, all work can be done to glorify God (cf. Col. 3:17,23) and we can enter into God's labor and enjoy His food or find fulfillment, i.e., to do the will of God as we accomplish His work (cf. John 4:34), as nothing we do for the Lord will be in vain, but be rewarded. God gave the work order to Adam and Eve to till the garden; therefore work is no curse. We reflect God's glory in our work, and so Haggai 2:4 exhorts us to "work" for God is with us! Soli Deo Gloria!
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