What Does The Bible Say About Work?

The Bible tells us that our God is the most incredible worker of all, for He created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.). His works are unrivaled, and His accomplishments are unsurpassed (Job 38, 39, 40, and 41). The works of our Lord are too wonderful for us to understand. God looked over all He had made and saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31) NLT. When God works, it always ends up as a masterpiece. How astonishing it is to know that every single work of God is always for HIS glory and believe it or not, for our good. The work of God contains truth, and in it, there is life. And what makes God worthy of all our praise is that He has given us an opportunity to work, just like Him. How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in Him should ponder them (Psalm 111:2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.).

The more we read the Bible, the more we see how glorious God’s works are. The Word of God helps us discover how we should view our work and how we should find joy in it. God is happy and is always pleased whenever He works. This should encourage Christians to be happy with whatever we are doing or working on. Genesis 1:31 implies that God experienced joy when He created the world and breathed life into man. If God is truly enjoying His work, then why can’t we?

Working for Purpose

The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:13, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (NLT) Let such truth linger in our minds for a while—God is giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our main goal in life is to please God in whatever we do. The purpose of our work should always be for the glory of God. In Philippians 2:12, we are told to “work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” (NLT) There is no better work or deed than glorifying God. All works or jobs are meant to give praise and glory to God. Regardless of your pay and regardless of the hours that you put in at work, all the energy exhausted and all the time spent are meant to bring glory and worship to the One Who gave us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. Understanding this is crucial to our Christian walk.

Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:23, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (NLT) It is when we work for the Lord that our strength is renewed. Giving everything you have for the Lord does not leave you empty but fills you up. Spending all your energy for the Lord does not reduce your strength and endurance. It may sound counterintuitive, but the more you exhaust all your energy working and laboring for the Lord, the more your strength is replenished. And believe it or not, the more you wear yourself out working for the glory of God, the more you shall find rest. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Strength and Power 

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who trust the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. It is when we work for God and not for men that we find an unlimited supply of energy, strength, endurance, stamina, enthusiasm, and motivation. It really doesn’t matter what type of job or work you have at the moment, be it an easy or stressful one, but work for the Lord, and He will give you the desire and power to do what pleases Him. It is the Lord Himself Who shall awaken all your sluggish bones. It is God Almighty Who shall set your motivation ablaze. By the power of the Holy Spirit, your cheerfulness for work will be revitalized. Your zeal for work will go blazing again in Jesus’ name! And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17) NLT. Perform your work according to His Word, and you’ll be greatly rewarded.

Finding Joy at Work 

It is astounding to think that the very first thing that the Bible teaches us about our God is that He is engaged in a spectacular, prolonged, creative, artistic, exhilarating work, and He enjoyed it. God enjoyed the work that He did and the fruit of His work—that includes us! Imagine how all creations, including you and me, would look if God were not in the mood for work. God was passionate about His work, and He did it with love. And what is more amazing about His work ethic is that He never works just to get paid. God Himself provides everything for His creation out of His abundance (Acts 17:25). The work of God is always the overflow of His joy in being the Great and Holy Triune God. Regardless of how bloody the cross of Christ was, God was pleased with the work of Jesus, including His sufferings here on earth (Isaiah 53:10).

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (NLT). Work for the Lord means that we must work with faith in every work we undertake. Remember that we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who gave His life in order for us to have eternal life. Bear in mind that all our work is for God, regardless of who we report to. If it is for God, then our service should be heartfelt. And since it is by God and for God, expect great joy from it. Remind yourself every day that you are not working for men but God, and working for the Lord is always and forever the best dream job ever.