The Blessing Of Work Series

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.