Work, a Curse or a Gift?

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV). I have come to realize that retirement is just as much “work” as a full time career. I suppose that’s not true for everyone, but in my case, I have found just as much stuff that needs to be done as before. I can’t say I am disappointed about that. I would not be a good person to just sit around and while away the hours with so much that could be done around me. I suppose my Dad’s early teaching of a strong work ethic has not waned with the years. That realization brings me to a strong principle for us today. Work is a gift of God in creation. Of course, our reading helps us to recognize that the fall introduced frustration into our work. We must be careful to note that the curse God pronounces in Genesis 3 is not on the man but upon the ground. As with everything else, work also has been affected by sin. Yet work does not cease, although now it can involve toil, boredom, frustration, and disappointment. Because work is what it is, some people choose the way of idleness. The apostle Paul had to warn the Thessalonians against the sin of idleness: “‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle” (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11). This mistaken reaction to the fallen nature of work leads to a loss of our dignity as God’s image bearers. Because of the seeming futility of work, we are sorely tempted to avoid it. In addition to the loss of dignity, idleness also results in the loss of personal fulfillment and joy, the loss of our sustenance, along with sinful activities that eventually follow. God has made us in his image as workers. When tempted to be idle we need to remember work is not a curse but is something God blesses and sees as good. When tempted to take the easy way of entitlements, we need to remember that work is a gift of God. One last thing is important before we leave this topic. There can be a difference between work and a job. I really don’t have a job anymore. Oh, I do a few things with my writing and still counsel and disciple others; but I am for the most part retired from a job. I still have work to do though. If it is no more than fixing some “secret ingredient pancakes” for my grandchildren before they go off to school, that is a gift of God. Take some time today and think about what God has given your hand to do in the stage of life you find yourself. Have you accepted the joy accompanying that gift; or, are you resentful thinking you have to “work”? Gifts are always more fun!