The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden to work it and take care of it. >(Genesis 2:15)
From the beginning God has had an expectation that man will work. This initial directive was before woman and before the Fall. Having work to do, then, is not a punishment for sin, but rather a benefit for good.
In Colossians 3:23-24 we are told, Whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
This admonition is responsible in large part for the success of the American experiment, where since the start of this country the “work ethic” has been accepted by a solid majority of our society. But, how many today are “working for the Lord, not for man?”
Therefore believers, if we are able to remember that our labors are ultimately for the Lord our lives will be much more productive and joyful.
