All over America today, people are scurrying about getting ready to work. Some will head to an office, some outside, and others to a retail mart or medical facility to labor. We work for many reasons, but primarily to earn money to buy the things we need and want. Work is a biblical principle God put in place when He created everything. God himself worked. In Genesis 2:2-3, he rested from his work of creation, introducing the pattern of resting after work. In Genesis 2:15, he applies these same principles of work and rest. He put man in the garden and gave him the job of taking care of the garden. This was to be his work. Later, after man sinned in Genesis 3:19, his work would not be as easy as before they disobeyed God; now, by sweat and hard labor, they would survive.
Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Genesis 2:15 “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”
Genesis 3:19 “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
God always intended for man to work for his existence. He works, so he has food. He works to help others. He is to work in serving God. Work is putting forth mental, physical, or both efforts to achieve a goal. In II Thessalonians 3:6 –12, Paul warns against idleness and teaches the value of work. When a man does not work, the temptation is to use his time for things that do not honor the Lord. He may be lazy and do nothing, but this is also a sin. The warning in II Thessalonians 3:11 was that those who did not work spent their time being “busybodies.” They were meddling in the affairs of others instead of taking care of their own business. In verse 6, the command for the Christian is to withdraw from those who would not work to take care of their own affairs. These people were making it harder on other church members because they expected help from them when they would not work. Paul had already addressed this problem in I Thessalonians 4:11 “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” He addressed those lazy people to get it together, leave everyone’s business to themselves, and work!
Paul goes on to tell them to follow his example. While it would have been acceptable to do the Lord’s work and let the church support them, Paul worked to support himself. We also should be an example to others in this command to work.
II Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”
II Thessalonians 3:7-12 “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for naught; but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
Another aspect of work we must consider is the obsession with work. Some are so consumed with power and the desire to have it that they become workaholics. Everything revolves around their work. We should not neglect our families or our labor for the Lord because of a job. When your motivation to work is to fulfill your ego of achievements or to buy more stuff, you have missed God’s design. You have made your work and the money you gain, your God. It is the driving force of your life. God gave us the pattern of rest, as I mentioned before, but it was a pattern to provide us with a day to worship, reflect, and enjoy the blessings of God. In short, it was a day set aside for the Lord!
Solomon was very blessed by God, but at some point, all his achievements seemed pointless. In Ecclesiastes 2:17, Solomon says, “Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” From this, we see that our accomplishments, efforts, wisdom, or frivolous use of our time does not produce the ultimate satisfaction of life we seek. Solomon comes to the conclusion that all his efforts are vain or empty unless they are done in view of eternity. When we do not pursue life with eternity in view, we become frustrated or find ourselves in despair. For most, when they feel this way, instead of seeking God and his wisdom and ways, they look for another way to have fun. Their life becomes a series of working to relax and have fun, only to repeat it day after day. Without our purpose for work being for God’s glory, there is no fulfilment in life.
Do you work, fulfilling your duty to take care of yourself and your family and contribute to the service of the Lord? Is your goal to work to glorify God? I Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Does your work consume you? Is your purpose to boost your ego? Does work take the place of time you should spend in worshiping the Lord? What motivates you to go to work each day? These are questions we need to ask ourselves so that we live our lives with God’s purpose and design. We are commanded to work, and work is good, but it must be done God’s way.
