Introduction
God has made work an important part of life for all people. Since the beginning of time, God has always wanted us to work and use our skills to help society grow and improve. The Bible has a lot to say about work, and in this article, we’ll look at some of the most important verses. We hope this article will help you see your job as a way to honor God and help other people.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
–Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Work is a Gift from God
The Bible tells us that God has given us work. Genesis 2:15 says, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” God made Adam and Eve, and then he told them to take care of the garden. In the same way, Ecclesiastes 3:13 says, “Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
–Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)
Work Should Be Done Diligently
As Christians, we are called to work hard and do a good job at what we do. We can read in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” This means that we should do our work well and with the goal of honoring God.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
-Colossians 3:17 (KJV)
Laziness is Condemned
The Bible strongly condemns being lazy and not doing anything. In Proverbs 10:4, it says, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” In the same way, Proverbs 18:9 says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” As Christians, we are told to work hard and get things done, using our skills and talents to serve God and other people.
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
–Proverbs 13:11 (KJV)
Honesty and Integrity in Work
As Christians, we are called to be honest and have integrity in everything we do, including our jobs. “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight,” says Proverbs 11:1. This means we should always be honest with other people, whether they are coworkers or customers. In the same way, Colossians 3:9-10 says, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
-Philippians 2:14–16
Work as a Means of Serving Others
As Christians, we are told to see our jobs as ways to help other people. Ephesians 6:7-8 says, “Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.” This means that we should do our work with a humble heart and a desire to help others, not just to further our own goals.
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
-Thessalonians 3:10–12
Conclusion
God gave us work, and as Christians, we should see it as a way to serve God and other people. The Bible tells us to work hard, not be lazy, and to be honest and have integrity in everything we do. We hope this article has given you new ideas about how to look at your work and how to use your skills and talents to serve God and other people. May the Lord bless you as you do everything you can to honor Him.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands!
-Psalm 90:17