Why does God give us work?
Christian maturity leads us to understand work not as a punishment, nor merely as an economic activity for food, clothing or housing, but as a vocation. In the second account of creation, the first action God takes towards man is to give him work: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to till it and keep it.” — Genesis 2:15
Work is a gift from God. Work carries a dignity that goes beyond earning a living.
Jesus says: “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” — John 5:17
Here, He is not talking about carpentry. He is speaking about the Work of God:
the ordering of creation,
the restoration of the world,
the mission of the Son.
Here is the grace of work: the work of a carpenter becomes a participation in God’s Work when he or she carries out his/her duties in a way that glorifies the Lord.
Work also includes the effort we make in responding to God's grace. We do not save ourselves, for salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. Nor do we sanctify ourselves, for sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet God does not treat us as passive spectators. He calls us to cooperate with His grace, to repent, to grow in virtue, to resist sin, and to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
In this sense, working on oneself is also a form of work. It is part of the lifelong task of conversion and discipleship. As Jesus teaches: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” — Matthew 5:48
The Christian life therefore involves effort, discipline and perseverance, not as attempts to earn God's favour, but as our response to the grace already given. We participate in God's work within us as He leads us towards holiness.
Seen in this light, our ordinary human work can take on a whole new purpose.
“Work is obviously a human activity, but it can transcend into a divine activity when directed to the glory of God and the good of all humankind.”
“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” — Ephesians 2:10
Through work, we participate in God’s Work, not only by what we produce, but by the way we allow our work, responsibilities and daily efforts to shape us according to His Will and be directed towards His glory and the good of others.
