Working to the Glory of God
We can recognize these words in Genesis as the ones coming just before the command of God that Adam and Eve could eat of every tree in the Garden except of the tree in the middle of the garden. And we know what happened. Instead of following God’s command they chose to go their own way, work out things on their own if you will.
God intended work to be honorable, necessary, useful, joyful, and rewarding. As Adam and Eve were given the Garden to provide for all their needs and give them joy, we are given both the tasks of maintaining and sustaining our lives and what we do for income for our joy as well. Yet so often work becomes drudgery and we hear ourselves complaining about having to do it.
There certainly are undesirable aspects to work—pulling weeds, cleaning up messes, changing diapers, just to name a few. But while the action or smell might be less than fun, the work itself is not. Thanks be to God we can participate in nature’s growing cycle, be able to correct our own or our neighbor’s mistake, and certainly enjoy the intimacy of diaper changing! Working to maintain of God’s creation in our home or in our world, is what we have been created to do. It is not our job; it is our joy.
We, like Adam and Eve, often take what God had intended as a gift and make it a chore. Through multiple ways we can turn work into something we resent or something we try to avoid. God is honored and praised when we use our gifts and abilities to give glory to Him and provide for our needs and the needs of others. Today honor God with the tasks that lay before you.
Prayer:
O God, use my hands and heart to do your work. Amen
Pastor Jerry
Tomorrow: Questioning to the Glory of God
