WORK AND LABOUR

 

Gift Of Work And Labour

Genesis 2:2 "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." (Highlight on 'WORK' is mine).

Depending on how we see and define work will determine what we consider work and how we go about it. The first worker as recorded in the Bible was God himself. The creation of the world is the work of God. Today can we see something and call it your handiwork?

If daily you go somewhere and you tell people that you are going to work, if we get to the place, can we see your handiwork? Thank God we can see you bring money home but when we get there, can we see something tangible and thank God that you are working?

From the Bible translation from which the word 'WORK' was derived in Genesis 2:2:

"... "And on the seventh day God ended his work..."

The word signified an effort put in to play to cause something good or bad to happen. So, we can say that God exerted some effort to cause this world to come in to existence. We know in Hebrews 11 that effort is faith. So we can rephrase it and say that God exerted faith and cause this world to come in to existence. And when God finished, He rested. He had all the power to keep creating and creating endlessly but He did not do that, instead, He rested. This brings about the Sabbath rest and also the seventh year sabathical. What we are saying here is that work is an exertion whether physical, mental or otherwise (infact, including spiritual 1 Timothy 5:17), put in to bring results. This results brings in reward to the person who did the work. Work is not harmful but helpful. While one person labour physically, another labour mentally and still yet, another labour spiritually in the word and in prayer.

Proverbs 18:9 "He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster." KJV

There is physical exertion and yet also mental exertion. One must give in to one or all forms of exertion. In fact the above scripture in BBE version is rendered as:

Proverbs 18:9 "He who does not give his mind to his work is brother to him who makes destruction." BBE Translation

If Adam continued where God stopped, we ought to know that God is interested in us giving in to some form of exertion or the other. One exertion that is below par in our days is spiritual exertion. We do not exert ourselves in prayer and in-depth study of the word of God that is why the physical tends to control the spiritual. May God help us to work and build our faith, the faith that will move mountains.

Pray:

Father, give me what to do and be faithful and to fulfill my purpose on Earth and as a result to be blessed. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!