Like it or not, work is one of the foundational aspects of human society. Whether you’re hammering nails, or repairing pipes, or taking phone calls, or digging ditches, work is how we earn money, provide for our families, and satisfy our needs. However, most people in western society have profoundly mistaken views of the innate nature and purposes of work. Thankfully, our Creator hasn’t left us without an explanation of why He made us to work, and what work does for us.

The basic practice of work, when defined as exerting energy to develop our worlds, so they produce benefits for us, is one of the founding purposes of human existence. For, right after God created Adam, He placed Him in the garden of Eden to “tend and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15, NKJV). Hence, work is instrinsic to our identities as creatures who represent God in limited respects (or “bear His image”). In fact, God Himself is the One in the Bible who first began to work. In forming, creating, molding, and structuring the galaxies, the solar system, and the earth, He was working from the beginning. Without work, there would have been no beginning.

Therefore, work shouldn’t be seen as a necessary evil, or simply a means to making money, but a fulfillment of one of the deepest longings of our human natures. Those who refuse to work will usually do one of two things — they will either engage in constant pleasure-seeking, which leaves them miserable and depressed, or they will meddle in the work of others, in order to have some contact with this fundamental human endeavor. Either way, they will deprive themselves of profound satisfaction, happiness, and prosperity. Further, such people will make themselves odious to most of the rest of their neighbors, who are still working.

However, on the flip side, there is another evil and deceptive attitude about work that many people in western society have. I — and I’m sure you as well — have often experienced those people who, no matter how proficient or successful they may be in their job, find it a miserable and sorrowful duty. Most of them almost exclusively conceive of their job as a way to get money, but little else. Such people are of course missing the deepest meaning of work, and failing to recognize God’s sovereign design of implementing work into their lives. Of course, there may be a variety of complex reasons for them to “hate their jobs,” but fundamentally, they are miserable because they are lacking in the chiefest virtue required to do anything in a way that fulfills human purpose, and provides truth-based satisfaction — trust in, and fear of, the Creator, Redeemer, and Ruler of humanity.

It’s only once we honestly and humbly acknowledge our sovereign Lord and Savior that we’ll possess the wisdom that tells us our work is in alignment with His will, and purposed for our eternal good. In the Proverbs of the Bible, the wise author writes, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prob. 1:7, NASB95). Hence, any conception of work that is based on God’s purposes for it will only be agreed to once we recognize the Lord God for who He is, and what He’s done for us.

Although work has been corrupted through Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, it can still be redeemed, just as our souls, minds, and spirits must be redeemed. In this present age, work is hindered by the hindrances, obstacles, errors, and evils of both the natural and the human world. And yet, once a person is rescued from this decaying world through the gracious renewal and regeneration of His mind, heart, and soul, his work takes on new meaning, as all things he does are now done out of a trusting love for His merciful and compassionate Savior. In fact, the Savior Himself came to work, for He said, “My Father is working until now, and I myself am working” (Jn. 5:27 NASB95). It was the work He came to earth to do, which accomplished the reconciliation and redemption of humanity, which is still in process, and will yet be fulfilled when He comes again. The work He came to do for the Father drove Him to take upon Himself the curse brought upon us through our disobedience to His Father, so that He suffered all the agony, pain, shame and despair that we deserve from Him for perversion of our purpose on earth. Then, He physically rose again in the life of the coming world, which will lack all of the evil, suffering, vexation, and emptiness that so plagues this current world. Only those who give up their self-centered, prideful, and foolish thinking and work, and rest through trust in His promise of full forgiveness and peace based on His death and resurrection on our behalf are born again, renewed in character, and enabled to do all work out of love and trust in Him, and for His pleasure. In so doing, such believers imitate their Creator in their work, for He does all works to please Himself, and make Himself known to His creatures.

And so we come to the fulfillment of that purpose of work that was originally given to the first man. In those who have been adopted into God’s family through the peace bought by the death of Jesus, any work can now provide them with satisfaction, and those who are affected, with fulfillment of needs. But in order to help people, especially believers, understand their everyday work in light of the truths of God’s Word from the Lord Jesus, I offer you a simple way to define your work that serves others — it’s simply sharing your gifts to meet the needs of others. More basically, work is sharing your life with others, to bring them more life.

We can see an echo of this in the words of Paul on work in his letter to the Ephesians:

“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” – Eph. 4:28 (NASB95)

In this verse, Paul gives the direct, earthly, purpose for our money-earning work — to gain wealth, so we can share it with the needy. Thus, truly Christlike work isn’t self-centered, but others-centered. It is one of multiple ways in which we fulfill God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s also how the body of Christ, the community of the new creation, makes sure that all of them are provided with material provision — so everyone’s needs are met. If everyone worked with this motive — not to gain for their own comfort — for the comfort of their brothers and sisters, then no one would be in need.

But notice how personal Paul makes this work. He says that former thieves should work with their hands. Of course, he was speaking to a specific section of the society during a time in which most work was done with one’s hands, so we can infer that one reason for his specific choice of description of work is to motivate these brothers to be excited about working. The principle here is that if you’re truly working, then you’re doing something unique to you, and that provides benefits through the exercise of yourself, and your natural abilities. This provides you with satisfaction in using your mind and body for purposes for which God originally designed them. God didn’t make our hands simply for show, or to provide us with earthly comforts and pleasure, but for solving problems, building things, constructing things, and meeting the needs of others.

But this understanding of work as sharing should go beyond our money-earning work, and apply to all that we do in the service of others. In fact, if we think about what God was doing in working on the creation, and what He’s still doing through His Spirit on the earth, He’s basically sharing His goodness with humanity. He had every right to keep to Himself forever, but He chose to share His character with creatures that could understand Him, and respond to Him. Furthermore, God’s very nature manifests sharing, since He exists in three Persons who all share their life, purpose, and activities. It is through the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that all events are happening in concert, toward the perfect conclusion in the end. And as we endeavor to share what God has freely given us, so others can experience more of His good gifts, we reflect this innate characteristic of sharing for the good of others.

So, whatever the Lord has called you to do, make sure that you’re doing it in the recognition that your purpose in giving up energy, time, and other resources, is meant for you to share your life with others, so they can enjoy more of the goodness of life that God has freely provided for all people.

And if you’ve never received the gift of God’s forgiveness of your sins, peace with Him, and membership in His family, then I sincerely present to you the good news that Jesus has worked in our place, through His perfect life, and substituting death. The bad news you must accept is that thus far, you have earned a wage of eternal death through your rebellion against your Creator. If you aren’t an obedient and worshipful friend of the Lord Jesus, then God considers you His enemy, since you’re in rebellion and allied with the devil. But the good news is that He’s communicating terms of peace to you. That peace came at the cost of the infinite spiritual suffering of the eternally divine Jesus, who took our punishment from the Father on the cross. He rose from the dead, and now reigns over the universe until God decides to end this age, and send Him to judge all people for all they’ve done. Without your sins forgiven, you will have to pay the penalty for your offenses against your Creator. But He promises that, if you give up your rebellion in thinking and attitude, and depend on the Lord Jesus to provide you with God’s forgiveness and eternal blessing, He will give you these things, and you will be restored to peace and harmony with God as your Father. Today is the day of salvation — there is no good reason for you to put off the salvation of your eternal soul. If you reject this offer of peace, you will have even less excuse for your eternal sentence on the day of judgment. So please be reconciled to God! Take the life and love of Jesus, and let Him possess you as His friend and servant!