Work

By: Bob Worzalla

Thursday, February 12, 2026

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

In the bible, it doesn't take long to find the word work. Not long after creation, God gave Adam a job. Then, He gave him a helper. God created work because He knew it wouldn't be good for us to be idle. Before Adam and Eve's fall, work was pleasant and enjoyable. But when they didn't resist Satan's temptation, everything changed. When they sinned, death entered the picture and work got much harder.

For many people, work is difficult, but it's also necessary. We all have bills to pay and groceries to buy. For others, work (their job) is something they are doing until their dreams come true. But it's different for Christ followers. When we're "working for God" our jobs become fun. Even better, when we're serving God as a volunteer, our outlook on work changes. It becomes something we get to do, not something we must do. In most cases, our opinion on work has a lot to do with how we view eternity.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus... Colossians 3:17

Before we were ever born, God had a plan for us. As we grew, He gave us spiritual and physical gifts to make work more fulfilling. Honestly, most of us weren't thinking about our spiritual gifts when we applied for our first job. Instead, we probably relied on our physical and mental abilities. But when our job matches our spiritual gifts, our work becomes much more rewarding. If your current job seems frustrating and monotonous, go online and take a spiritual gifts test. The closer you can match your work with how God wired you, the more satisfying it will be.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters... Colossians 3:23

We'll all go through seasons of life, and we'll probably have many different jobs before Jesus returns. But whether we like our job or not, it's important to remember who our real boss is! Retirement can be enjoyable too, but it doesn't give us permission to do nothing. If we retire (stop working for pay), we can still "work for God" by being a ministry volunteer. Think of it like this: our physical gifts and talents will diminish and fade, but our spiritual gifts won't!

Serve God every chance you get, it will be a blessing, and it will bring Him glory!