I wish to begin with an illustration: “On one occasion, Thomas Edison came home very exhausted from an extended season of work. His wife insisted that he needed some rest, so she suggested a vacation. Edison mulled it over but wasn’t sure where he should go. His wife said, ‘Just decide where you would rather be more than anywhere else on earth.’ The great inventor thought about it for a while, then replied, ‘Very well, I’ll go there tomorrow.’ The next morning, he set off for his laboratory. Though very exhausting at times, work was a joy and a place of revitalization for Thomas Edison.”(1)
Vacations are a necessary ingredient for maintaining a balanced perspective on work, but it’s also healthy to remember that work was ordained by God in the beginning and was intended to give us a level of satisfaction and purpose. And this is what we’re going to keep in mind during our message this morning – and on this Labor Day weekend – as we explore what the Bible has to say about “The Blessing of Work.” First of all, let’s see how work was ordained by God, as we look at Genesis 2:1-3.
Work Was Ordained by God (Genesis 2:1-3)
1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Notice how the Scripture says that God “ended His work” (v. 2), and that “He rested from all His work” (vv. 2-3). These verses share part of the creation account. If God had not labored, then creation would not have occurred; and thus, neither would this world have existed and all that’s contained within – including human beings. “The origin of work is depicted [here] in the book of Genesis. In the opening passage, God is the primary worker, busy with the creation of the world (Genesis 1:1-15). The Bible states that God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. [The first chapters of Genesis] reveal that God was the first to do work on the earth. Therefore, legitimate work reflects the activity of God” and tells us that work was ordained by God.
“Because God is inherently good, work is also inherently good (Psalm 25:8; Ephesians 4:28). Furthermore, Genesis declares that, when God viewed the fruit of His labor, He called it ‘very good.’ God examined and assessed the quality of His work, and when He determined that He had done a good job, He took pleasure in the outcome. By this example, it is apparent that work should be productive. Work should be conducted in a way that produces the highest quality outcome, [and] the reward for work is the honor and satisfaction that comes from a job well done.” Psalm 19:1 says that God even reveals Himself to the world by His work.(2) This verse, in the NIV, says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Let’s now see how work gives us purpose and satisfaction, as we look at Ecclesiastes 9:9-10:
Work Gives Us Purpose (Ecclesiastes 9:9-10)
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
There are two obvious things the devil is trying to destroy today: marriage and work. Solomon said that marriage brings us joy. We are to live joyfully with our spouse. In 1 Timothy chapter 4, we read that in the last days some will refuse to marry (vv. 1, 3). I recently watched a few minutes of an appalling podcast with Nick Cannon, the host of America’s Got Talent, where he discussed how he had children by four or five different women. He stated how he felt marriage was archaic and racist, and that a man should be allowed to have children with as many women as he likes without being committed to them. By instituting marriage, God gave us the blessing of lifelong companionship and love (Genesis 2:20-25), but the devil is trying to rob us of this security and hurl us into anxiety and fear.
But let’s talk about work. According to Solomon, both marriage and work are our “portion” in life (v. 9); and that word “portion” means “reward.” This means that if life is to be rewarding, and if we are to find satisfaction, then work is part of the equation. Solomon said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (v. 10). In 1 Corinthians 10:31, the apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” and in Colossians 3:17, he stated, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” According to Scripture, we need to put our all into our work, in order to honor and glorify God and give Him thanks. Why? Because He is the author of life and the one who rewards us with the blessing of work.
In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul said, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Not only is work a reward from God, but when we labor heartily as to the Lord, then we receive something far greater, which has to do with our inheritance in heaven. Perhaps it’s the acknowledgement from Jesus, when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21). Whatever this reward is supposed to be, it comes by heartily serving Christ rather than men. I’m sure you’ve noticed how difficult it is to please people anyway. You put your all into something expecting praise, and all you hear in return is “meh.”
Allow me to share an illustration. “During his first day on the job, an employee asked one of his new colleagues what it was like working in this office. The seasoned employee responded with a question of his own. He asked, ‘What was it like working at the place from which you came?’ The new recruit quickly spit out his disdain for the former place of employment. He replied, ‘It was a terrible job. I didn’t enjoy the work or the people for whom I worked.’ The wise colleague then responded, ‘Well, unfortunately, I’m afraid you’ll find it pretty much the same here.’ We may change places and faces, but unless we change our attitude, [work] will remain much the same.”(3) If we would give it our all while giving thanks, as the Scripture says, then this would do wonders in changing our perspective; and thus, our attitude about work. Who knows, we might just begin enjoying what we do.
Have you considered that when we fail to work “with our might,” as Solomon said, that it could lead to some unexpected speed bumps? “The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had some explaining to do during the summer of 1996. Walter Bortree admitted to the media that there was some sloppy work performed by one of the road crews. ‘Yes, the operator should have seen the deer, and yes, it should have been removed,’ he said. Bortree was referring to the incident where one of his repair crews had paved over a dead deer . . . An apathetic work ethic will cause many of us to just ‘pave over the deer’ rather than exerting the extra effort to make sure the job is done right.”(4) This employee likely lost his job over the lack of care in his work. So, if you don’t want to encounter some unplanned speed bumps in life, then you need to remember for whom you really work.
When Solomon said, “For there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (v. 10), he was talking about how work gives us meaning, purpose and satisfaction; something which ceases in the grave. Allow me to share another illustration: “During World War II, concentration camps were filled with Jews who suffered unspeakable horror. One such camp in Hungary was used to employ the labor of Jews for the creation of a special fuel additive that helped run the Nazi war machine. The prisoners were forced to distill tons of human waste and garbage into alcohol for fuel enhancement. The stench was as foul as the reality they were aiding the enemy’s cause. Yet month after month they endured the inhumane condition and work.”
After the facility was bombed by Allied forces, the Nazi’s had the prisoners move the waste and garbage from one end of the site to another, back and forth. “Rather than reemploy the prisoners in the hideous work they had once done, they were now simply being beaten down with senseless work. These prisoners who had survived previous atrocities, started falling apart once their work became meaningless. Men broke rank and ran into the electric fence. Others were shot while trying to flee. Some were beaten into silence as they screamed relentlessly. The vile but purposeful work had sustained them for the better part of three years, but within just a matter of days the futility was killing them.”(5)
Let’s think about the pandemic for a moment. First, let’s consider how schools have been closed and how it’s affecting children. The CDC website says, “During 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency department visits among adolescents aged 12-17 years increased 31% compared with that during 2019.”(6) “During February 21-March 20, 2021 . . . suicide attempt emergency department visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12-17 years than during the same period in 2019.”(7) Let’s now consider how places of employment have been closed and how it’s affecting adults. “According to the CDC, as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported starting, or increasing, substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to Covid-19.”(8)
With schools being closed and people staying home from work, this has led to a sense that life has no meaning or purpose. It has led to a lack of fulfillment and has resulted in serious mental health problems ending in suicide, drug abuse and even death from drug overdoses. God gave us work to bring meaning to what otherwise might seem like a meaningless existence. I mean, that’s the way Solomon put it in verse 9. He said, “All your days of vanity.” Without purpose, and without knowing there is a Creator, life might seem like a cruel cosmic experiment! Kids need to get back in school (which is a kind of work), and adults need to get back to their jobs, if people are going to find the purpose and satisfaction needed to end the insanity and bring about mental stability. Let’s now see how work keeps us focused, as we look at 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13:
Work Keeps Us Focused (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13)
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
In this passage, we observe how the believers in Thessalonica were preoccupied with the return of Christ. Paul noticed something disturbing that was taking place among the believers. They weren’t working their jobs, nor were they following the Great Commission, because they felt that Christ would return in the immediate future; so, they used His return as an excuse for idleness. They intentionally quit working. If we reasoned that Christ is coming back soon and that there is no need to be concerned about witnessing anymore, then there would be people who would miss out on coming to know Jesus. Work keeps us focused – it keeps us focused on what is right and true. Paul reminded them of their focus and purpose in verse 13, saying, “Do not grow weary in doing good.”
“Billy Graham once wrote about this passage, saying, ‘Please note that this wasn’t spoken to people who couldn’t find jobs. This was instead directed at people who had every opportunity to work – but refused to do so’.”(9) With the pandemic, some people are saying, “Let’s eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32). “Let’s enjoy our remaining moments and get all we can! Let’s get free money from the government and free rent!” Right now, people are making more money staying home than going to work. And who can blame them! But this can’t last forever. The government can’t keep printing money. One day people will have to go back to work or not be able to provide. Paul said in verse 10, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
When people choose to be intentionally unemployed it can lead to serious problems for both individuals and society. For individuals, it can lead to being unable to pay the bills and provide for one’s family; but not providing for one’s family reveals a much deeper issue than a lack of money. We read in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” God ordained work for the good of mankind, and when we deny this fact, then it reveals that we have a problem in our relationship with the Lord. We are either acting as an unbeliever would; or perhaps, it reveals that we really are an unbeliever, or someone who is unsaved.
Verse 11 shows us a couple of problems that unemployment can have on society. We read this: “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.” When people are unemployed and have very little to do, they get into trouble. They become disorderly and do things to break the law and wreak havoc. The riots of 2020 should have taught us this much. The word “busybodies” refers to people meddling in other people’s business, spreading gossip and stirring up trouble. I know someone who gets on Facebook and causes trouble when he is laid off from work; but when he starts working again, you rarely hear from him.
When people refuse to work, this also leads to stealing. A December 10, 2020 Forbes article says, “There is a well-known historical correlation between unemployment and theft.”(10) This same article continues to say, “A new study . . . shows that 40% of small-business owners say shoplifting has increased since the beginning of the pandemic.” Working will alleviate the temptation to steal; and not only that, working provides us an opportunity to “give” rather than “take.” We read in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
Back in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12, Paul gave some instruction on how to avoid the pitfalls of idleness. He said, “We urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” If you work with your own hands and begin to increase financially, and stop being trouble makers, then you will lack nothing physically or spiritually. You will also be a good example – as opposed to a bad one – to those outside the faith.
Time of Reflection
In closing, let me quickly summarize what we’ve learned about the blessing of work. Work was ordained in the beginning by God. It gives us purpose, it is rewarding, and with the right attitude it can bring us joy. Work can also distract us from the difficulties of life and benefit our mental and spiritual health. It keeps us focused on what is right and true, and helps us stay out of trouble. And when we have a good work ethic, it keeps our mind on the things of God and how we can best serve the Lord and our fellow man. The best way we can serve God and others is to carry out the Great Commission, by telling people about the forgiveness of sin and salvation they can find through faith in Jesus Christ.
Frances J. Crosby wrote a well-known hymn entitled “To the Work,” and I want to share some of the lyrics to that song right now to encourage us: “To the work! To the work! We are servants of God; let us follow the path that our Master has trod. With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew; let us do with our might what our hands find to do . . . To the work! To the work! Let the hungry be fed; to the fountain of life let the weary be led. In the cross and its banner our glory shall be, while we herald the tidings, ‘Salvation is free!’ . . . Toiling on, toiling on . . . let us hope, let us watch, and labor till the Master comes.”(11)
The Great Commission tells us that we are to find the lost and teach them about what Jesus has said and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The lost are those who are separated from God by their sins (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The gift of God is His one and only Son, Jesus, whom He gave as the one who would lay down His life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). If those who are lost will believe that Jesus died for their sins so they can be forgiven, and if they will confess their faith in Jesus as the resurrected Lord, they will be forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life (Romans 10:9-10).
NOTES
(1) Raymond McHenry, McHenry’s Stories for the Soul (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2001), pp. 301-302.
(2) “What Does the Bible Say About Work?” Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-work.html (Accessed August 14, 2021).
(3) McHenry, p. 20.
(4) Ibid., pp. 304-305.
(5) Ibid., pp. 236-237.
(6) “Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12-25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, January 2019-May 2021,” Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm (Accessed August 30, 2021).
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ashley Abramson, “Substance Use During the Pandemic,” American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/substance-use-pandemic (Accessed August 30, 2021).
(9) “5 Things the Bible Says About Work,” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, https://billygraham.org/story/5-things-the-bible-says-about-work/ (August 14, 2021).
(10) Tommy Beer, “Shoplifting Spikes in U.S. Amid Increasing Desperation as Pandemic Drags On,” Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/12/10/shoplifting-spikes-in-us-amid-increasing-desperation-as-pandemic-drags-on/?sh=486799b4216e (Accessed August 30, 2021).
(11) Frances J. Crosby, “To the Work,” Timeless Truths: https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/To_the_Work/ (Accessed August 30, 2021).
