Why We Work

In today's day and age, our reasons for our work are much different than when they were at the beginning. When you think of why we work, thoughts generally go to the reasons of survival, shelter, and provisions for ourselves. So when we go out to our jobs with a just a goal of, "I need to have just enough," it's hard to deny that there's going to be room for slacking. 

When we live in a country where our basic needs are most likely always going to be at arms reach, why try harder? While reading an article on what the definition of "poverty" in America is, it not only made me think of what I have but also how much our perspective and theology of work really needs to change. It has been reported that around 30 million of Americans were living in "poverty" each year; but what exactly does that look like? Well to sum it up, the average "poor" person or family owns a car, air conditioning, one to two color- TVs, and a DVD player. They also reported those typical families did not go hungry and were able to receive medical care when needed. Now, let us go back to our definition of work, meaning trying to survive and find shelter for our needs; aren't we surviving plenty?

A common mistake made by Christians is that work and labor are products of the fall in the Garden of Eden, as a way of punishment. But in reality, it reads in Genesis 2:15, "The Lord took the man and out him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it." This was before the fall, which if I remember correctly, the world was still perfect. God had created man to work to glorify Him and to bring man joy in doing so. After all, God does his work and makes beautiful things out of it, and if it's our job to be christ- like, we are to work just like he does. It wasn't until after the fall where God had then "cursed the ground which provides for you, and from the sweat of your brow you will eat from that ground until you return to it." Unfortunately, like many other things, sin has stained our view of work as punishment instead of a gift given by Christ. Phillip Holmes makes some very key points when writing in his blog about why we really should work. "Since God is ultimately our provider, our motivation and understanding of work must change. This honorable, meaningful labor is done as an act of worship, not unto man, but unto the Lord."

We our encouraged to remember the real reasons why we should work, and our attitudes towards it. Slacking is one the easiest temptations today with all that we have at our disposal, but great is the reward when we consider our labors a gift.