Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
March 21, 2007
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
--Genesis 2:15
The desire to work is built into everyone. Now I know what you’re thinking: If that’s true, then why are there so many lazy people out there? I certainly can’t account for every case of laziness, but I believe our need, desire, and capacity for work are God-given.
The creation account in Genesis says that God placed Adam in a perfect place called the Garden of Eden. Eden was a real, physical place, not just an imaginary garden. Other than being in the Mesopotamia region, we don’t really know where it was. But it was real, and Adam lived there and cared for it.
Please notice that God’s command for Adam to tend and care for the garden was given before sin entered the picture. In other words, Adam’s job came straight from God, and it was a part of His perfect creation.
Work is not, as some would like to believe, a part of the curse that came about from mankind’s sin. God means for us to find purpose and satisfaction in work, and He gives us the desire to succeed and be productive in that work.
That’s why the Bible says in Colossians 3:23 that whatever our job may be, we are to work hard at it and do it for the glory of God, as if we were working for Him and not just for the boss.
When we fulfill our purpose in life, then we are in a sense giving it back as a gift to God. That’s why whether you are the CEO of a large company or a part-time clerk, God wants you to give it your all and glorify Him with your effort.
How might your day be different if you were to work with the awareness that you are working for the Lord? Are you honoring Him by giving everything you have to your work? It’s amazing to think that we can bring God glory every day right where He has placed us.
WORK TODAY LIKE YOUR JOB MATTERS TO GOD—BECAUSE IN TRUTH, IT DOES!
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