The Reward of Work

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the dangers of being Busy, Busy, Busy. It is something that I have to watch out for–being so busy that I don’t have time to do what I really should be doing–serving God, worshiping Him, and caring for my family, friends and unbelievers. Busyness robs me of what I should really be doing, but so does my own lazyness.The truth is that while I am often busy, it’s not necessarily a productive kind of busyness–running around in the car doing errands or carpooling, making phone calls, doing a bit of shopping–I can fill a whole day and then wonder what I actually accomplished. There is a difference between working and being busy. God’s word clearly teaches that work is good.

God worked (Genesis 2:2): By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

God intended for man to work, even in the perfect setting before the Fall, in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15): The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Proverbs is full of a few choice pieces of wisdom concerning work as well:

He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment (12:11).

From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him (12:14).

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty (14:23).

Labor should bring satisfaction. Right now for the most part my work is caring for my children and home. It pleases Him for me to take pleasure in actually doing it, and not just talking about it or thinking about it. Whenever I get stuck in trying to justify my lack of productivity around the house, by thinking that I’m doing important things instead–relational things or service to the Lord–I can never escape the truth of Colossians 3:23-24:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

How do you seek to work for the Lord in all things, even laundry? Is it a helpful motivator to you to actually get things done to know that the Lord sees and is pleased with your hard work?