Wow…It’s been a crazy few months since my last post, but here is FAQ 3 – Why Is Work So Important?
Have you ever thought about the fact that God gave Adam a job before the fall? God could have provided Adam with everything. He could have created things in such a way that Adam would never have had to lift a finger, but He didn’t. He created Adam, and the rest of us, with needs that could only be fulfilled with work. Work must be pretty important if it was part of God’s perfect creation before the fall. Work must have provided Adam with something even more important than money.
As I have presented this material, I have asked audiences if they remembered their first jobs. I get head nods and smiles, then I ask about the first paycheck. Their faces light up as they remember that moment. It’s amazing to me how many people remember that first check. It is a significant moment in our lives. I have had people in their seventies, eighties, and even nineties tell me exactly how old they were, how they earned it, and the amount. I’ve noticed the pride in their voices as they walk down memory lane.
That feeling of value isn’t a mistake. God created each of us with a desire to take on responsibilities and accomplish things. He embedded a code in the DNA of every human being to meet their own needs. We want to be useful. We want to provide for ourselves. God gave Adam a job because he needed to believe he had value and was worth something. Relying on others to provide for our basic needs is a learned behavior.
We see the desire to care for ourselves in every child as they grow and find their identities. We see it in their desire to be independent. We even see it when they play. Most boys want to drive trucks and tractors and build. Most girls want to be teachers and nurses and care for others. While the examples may be stereotypical, it points to our natural desire to
work, be productive, and have value. This desire isn’t taught to children. It’s given to all
of us by God.
As adults, a large part of our identity is wrapped up in what we do for a living. When we meet someone new, it is common to ask where they work or what they do. That question may bother some people, because they don’t think their work defines who they are, but I disagree. We find a large portion of our value and identity in our jobs. As we get to know others, it is perfectly understandable to ask what they do for nearly half of their waking hours. It isn’t a bad question because it explains a major segment of our lives.
Our work, and our ability to independently provide for our needs, provides us with dignity. We find value in ourselves. God’s plan for us to work and care for our own needs allows us to see ourselves through His eyes as people who were created with abilities, purpose, and significance. We were created in His image. God calls us to work because He worked, and He has deemed work as necessary for our well-being.
