God took the keys of creation and essentially said: Here, have fun! Make it into something wonderful! Fill it with people but also roads, cities, schools and governments. Fill it with art, agriculture, economics, and medicine. Watch over it all and make sure it works according to my purposes. I gave you the foundation— now carry it forward! The cultural mandate in Genesis 1:28 shows us that our work is a divine calling from God. The first command in the Bible is to work.
God has invited you to share in His management of the world and contribute to society in a meaningful way. He designed you to co-work and co-create with Him. With this perspective, your laboring days aren’t a burden or distraction from the fun things in life. Work is an honor! It’s the biggest act of delegation in history. And we are talking about all work: yard work, relational work, your day job or volunteer work, caring for an ailing parent, helping your neighbor, etc.
Also notice how God’s divine call to work happened in the Garden. It was before sin and before the curse. God declared after each day He worked: work is good! There is a reason you have an innate desire to live a purposeful life (no one is truly satisfied watching TV on the couch their entire life). It’s part of who you are. God created a world that is ready for your impact.
In her book Kingdom Calling, author Amy L. Sherman outlines six ways God works in the world today. Below is an excerpt from her book that summarizes all six. These are the ways we co-work with God. Read through the list and think about where your work lands.
-
Redemptive work—God’s saving and reconciling actions, which may include counseling, writing, designing, listening, praying, singing, reading, preaching, teaching, healing, helping, giving.
-
Creative work—God’s fashioning of the physical and human world, which may include painting, producing, directing, editing, acting, crafting, sculpting, sewing, designing, building, planning.
-
Sustaining work—God’s provision for and sustaining of humans and creation, which may include building, engineering, accounting, lending, investing, computer programming, landscaping, farming, cooking, repairing, cleaning, parenting, mentoring, sewing, manufacturing.
-
Justice work—God’s maintenance of justice, which may include advocating, discerning, deciding, governing, protecting, creating awareness, organizing meetings, speaking up, policy making, defending, judging rightly, sharing generously, leading others to the truth.
-
Compassionate work—God’s kindness in action, which may include helping the hurting, healing the sick, guiding the young, encouraging the weak, comforting those who mourn, acknowledging the stranger, listening to the lonely, exhorting the wayward, forgiving grievances, loving the unlovely.
- Revelatory work—God’s work to enlighten with truth, which may include studying, investigating, examining, inspecting, exploring, researching, debating, writing, instructing, educating, illustrating, coaching, training, informing, alerting, preaching, creating, designing, filmmaking.
God not only cares about all of this work (and more!), but His purposes are being carried out through them. Whatever your work is, you are a co-worker with God (2 Corinthians 6:1).
God was with Noah as he built the ark. He was with Moses as he led the Israelites out of slavery, and with Joshua as he led them into the Promised Land. He was with Boaz as he managed his employees in the fields. He was with Mary as she carried baby Jesus in her womb and raised the Savior of the world. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, He was with Paul, a tentmaker, and Peter as they spread the good news through the first church.
God is with you in your work, too. The Holy Spirit will affirm you when you feel inadequate and encourage you when you face obstacles. He will equip you with everything you need to accomplish God’s plans for your life. Your work is not something you do by yourself. God gave you this divine calling to carry out in relationship with Him. You are not alone and you are not invisible. Your work is in partnership with His redemptive, creative, sustaining, justice-seeking, compassionate, and revelatory work.
So, let’s go back to the original question: Does God care about your work? According to His Word and His design, yes, He absolutely does! Your work is valuable and it is part of what makes you human. Work is an important aspect of living in relationship with God as you co-labor with Him to carry out His work and purposes in the world.
----------
Excerpted from the Life and Rhythm Bible study. Download a free sample here.