I Just Want to Bang on the Drum All Day (Part 1)

Ok, here it is. The much anticipated series opener on work. Ok, so maybe it isn't actually very anticipated, but hopefully it will be insightful and helpful.

Work. To many, it is a four-letter word placed right alongside of other four-letter words like...well I better not say. Anyway, you get the point. For most folks, work is the part of the day we just try to get through. It is the going home and being with family and unwinding that we look forward to, that we anticipate. We simply want to get it over with already. Why is it that we hate work so much? I will admit to you that it is not wrong (even in the least) to desire a return to home and our families. That is without doubt a good thing. But, our attitude toward work should not be one of absolute dread, and I fear that in most cases it is. Well, what does God have to say to us about this attitude? What is the biblical witness with regard to work?

I think that the Bible has several things to say about work. First, work is from God. It was mandated in the beginning. Second, it is to be done as to the Lord. Third, there is much satisfaction and joy in work done with the right motive. If we make God's pleasure the motive of our work, then we will see new fulfillment of that part of our lives that will flow out into other parts of it. Fourth, God, through his Holy Spirit, uses work to sanctify us.

So, there are at least four things the Bible tells us about work. I will work through each of these in separate posts. This first post will deal with the biblical mandate for work from God himself. The second post will explain what it means to do work as to the Lord. The third post will attempt to show how work motivated properly will bring satisfaction and sanctification.

Alright, it is clear to me that the Bible tells us that work is from God. It flows from his essence. It is a part of who he is. Where do I see this in Scripture? Let's start in the beginning.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:1-2

Right off the bat, we see work taking place. God is working to create the heavens and earth. He created and that took work. This is not to say that it was difficult for God, but nonetheless, it took work. If he had never worked, we would not exist. The question then is how did God respond to his work? Over and over, we hear the refrain "and God saw that it was good." God was pleased with his work. It gave him pleasure. He found joy and satisfaction in it. So, we see that work flows from the being of God himself, but what about man? Why should we enjoy work? Is there a precedence set for us?

Well, yes. Even if God had never given us an explicit reason to work, we should be willing to follow his example, which was set in creation. But, in his kindness, God made it very clear. Again, let us look to our beginning.

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" - Genesis 1:28

You see, God gave us a mandate, a calling of sorts after he created us. He did not create us to waste our days in leisure (which is not a bad thing if done in moderation). He desired that we subdue the earth. The word subdue means to conquer or to bring under cultivation. Now, where I'm from to cultivate the land is hard work. I just think about plowing fields in 100 degree weather and shudder. But, I don't think it would have been difficult for us to have subdued the land before the Fall. Why? Because part of the curse of sin is the difficulty of labor.

"cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." - Genesis 3:17b-19

So, we fell and work became difficult. Does that mean that God no longer desires for us to work? No, absolutely not. Why? Because it returns or moves the fallen creation back toward the pre-Fall state. God uses our work to redeem the earth. As Christians, we should desire for a return to Eden. While we realize that it won't fully occur until Christ returns, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working toward that goal.

You see, work isn't just important because it is a means to end. It is so much more than providing for family, which is, of course, a great thing. It is carrying out the mandate God gave us in the beginning. It is subduing the earth. It is an expression of the dominion God has given us over his creation. No matter your profession (assuming that it isn't illegal or something like that), you are carrying out God's mandate to us at creation. You and I are responsible for building culture and subduing the earth. Let's take me for example, I am a teacher. As a teacher, I aide in the building of culture by teaching children and enabling them to have the tools with which they can affect creation. My wife, as a nurse, helps carry God's mandate by caring for the sick and pushing them toward recovery so that they can return to society and be a useful part of it. A construction worker builds so that I might have a shelter over my head or a place to shop for clothes or gas or food. A secretary keeps the office in order so that his or her boss will be able to more efficiently affect his or her part of society. You get the point.

This should greatly effect the way in which we look at work. What an awesome calling and a sobering responsibility we have. God has told us to subdue the earth. So, when we do it, we are obeying the call of the Almighty. We are cherishing his command and his creation.