A Gracious Perspective on WorkExemplo

Is work a blessing?

In Biblical times people did not connect their work to their self-fulfillment. In fact, work was more about survival, given that hard work and honest labor produced food, income, and a sense of accomplishment. The idea behind work in biblical times was to be productive and, in doing so, you were actually doing what God commanded. You were a contributor not only to your family’s well-being but also to the nation’s well-being. The same holds true today. Work, when viewed in the proper biblical perspective, produces sustenance, a roof over one’s head, gives voice to worth and value, and supports generous giving and much, much more.

For career professionals today, viewing your work as something more than a paycheck can have profound implications on the motivation, passion, ethics, energy, and devotion put into your work. Stop right now and ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my work a paycheck, or do I view it as part of God’s blessing in my life?
• Is my work something I have to do, or something I have the privilege of doing? 
• Does my work provide a sense of accomplishment, or is it mundane with no sense of purpose?

The answer to these questions can reveal your motivation regarding your work—whether you approach your work with enthusiasm and passion or as an obligation. It can also reveal how you feel about God. Do you approach your work with integrity? Do you recognize the blessing of your work as a gift from the Lord? Finally, it can also reveal how you physically do your work: Do you put energy into your work? Are you devoted to doing your work well? While in a Roman prison, Paul stated, “Rejoice and again I say rejoice.” 

God values work, and He has blessed us with it. I invite you to think of work as a blessing. God ordained work in the Garden of Eden, and we see it all throughout the Scriptures. Many of Jesus’ parables were describing works such as planting, sowing, working in vineyards, tending sheep, etc. Jesus and the Apostles all worked. The image we have of God, in the beginning, is that He worked. If He did, as His children, we should also see work as a blessing.