Last time, I introduced a biblical framework for understanding work. It consists of four parts: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Let’s briefly review each one.
God’s Design for Work
In creation, we see that God designed humanity to work from the very beginning. He commanded Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth” (Ge 1:28). He then provided them with the resources they needed, saying, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you” (Ge 1:29). Later, Genesis 2 tells us that he created Eve to be Adam’s helper, emphasizing that work was not meant to be a solitary endeavor but a shared responsibility. Finally, we read, “The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it” (Ge 2:15).
So, before sin ever entered the world, work was part of God’s good design. Humanity was created in his image, and we reflect him by working just as he did during the six days of creation. Jesus would later say, “My Father is still working” (Jn 5:17). Like him, we create. We mold the earth’s resources for our good and his glory. We cultivate and protect them. We exercise dominion not by exploiting creation but by shaping it into something useful and good with the talents and abilities he has given us.
The Fall and the Burden of Work
But then came the fall.
Adam’s sin did not abolish the mandate to work, but it made work significantly harder. God told Adam:
The ground is cursed because of you.
You will eat from it by means of painful labor
all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow
until you return to the ground. (Genesis 3:17-19)
“You will still work,” God says, “but it won’t be easy anymore.” Since the fall, our bodies grow weary. Our minds grow weary. We struggle to find joy in our labors. We often wonder, Does my work really matter? At times, we sound like Solomon: “What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?” (Ecc 1:3).
And not only did God tell Adam his work would be more difficult, but he later told Cain, “If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield” (Ge 4:12). The fall did not just make work harder. It made it less fruitful. Our efforts do not produce the same quantity or quality of results they did before sin entered the world.
Redemption: Our Work in Christ
And yet, there is hope.
The third part of this framework is redemption. Consider Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. (Ephesians 2:4-10)
Notice Paul’s mention of “immeasurable riches” that await believers “in the coming ages.” This aligns with what he says at the end of 1 Corinthians 15: “Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1Co 15:58). In other words, no believer should ever think his or her work is meaningless. Unlike secularists who assume death is the end, we know our labors will be rewarded in eternity. No work done for the Lord is wasted.
This speaks to the all-encompassing redemption Christ provides. He does not merely redeem our souls. He redeems us—our whole lives, including our work. Paul says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph 2:10). That statement takes us right back to Genesis. Just as God worked to create Adam and Eve so they could reflect him in their labor, in redemption, he works again. He re-creates us in Christ not to be idle, but to do good works.
Work is More Than a Paycheck
When we hear the phrase “good works” in the Bible, our minds don’t typically jump to our nine-to-five jobs. We tend to think of prayer, serving the poor, evangelism, or something that feels distinctly Christian and spiritual. But is that all Paul had in mind?
The term itself is simple enough. “Works” refers to labor, deeds, or virtually anything one does. “Good” means profitable or virtuous. By definition, Paul is saying that God creates us new in Christ for the purpose of doing anything that is good.
This is why we need to resist making an artificial distinction between secular and sacred work. Scripture does not separate the two. We saw that in creation, and we see it after the fall. Paul writes, “Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord” (Col 3:22). Clearly, he is speaking about physical work, not only spiritual service. Then, in the next verse, he broadens the application: “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord” (Col 3:23).
Working for the Lord, Not for Men
So, we are called to work. We are commanded to work. And, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 2, we are redeemed to work, “knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord” (Col 3:24).
The final part of the framework is consummation. The struggles we have with work now will not last forever. Just as Christ will one day redeem our bodies, he will redeem the earth and our work. He will restore the joy of it completely, reuniting work and worship as God originally designed.
With that in mind, I want to continue thinking about work. After all, this is where we spend most of our waking hours. And I want to address some practical concerns. Some of you have shared your own frustrations and questions, so let’s take a closer look.
Paul says we are God’s “workmanship” (Eph 2:10). The Greek word there is poiēma [poy-a-muh]. Say it slowly, and it might remind you of an English word—it sounds a lot like poem. In other words, we are God’s artistic handiwork in Christ. He has made us new to make. Specifically, he has made us new to glorify him and serve others through our making. This applies to every area of life whether in business, the home, artistic endeavors, hospitals, classrooms, or wherever we find ourselves.
But how do we work for God’s glory when our jobs feel mundane, unimportant, or even frustrating? How do we fight laziness or cynicism? It begins with the principle Paul gives in Colossians 3. Read it again:
Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:22-24)
God will not permit us to confine him to Sunday mornings. He commands us to serve him every day, everywhere, in everything—including our work. He is Lord, and he lays claim to every aspect and moment of our lives. So, we rely on him and his grace, striving to serve and obey him in all we do.
Set aside the details of your job for a moment. No matter who you work for, what you do, or how you feel about it, the Lord calls you to serve him through that job.
Remember, Paul is writing to slaves. They were not where they wanted to be. But Paul essentially says, “That’s beside the point.” We don’t work to please people. We don’t work only when conditions are ideal. We work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord, as something done for him.
In Romans 14, he writes:
Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. [And here’s the lesson for us.] For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:6-8)
This is why Scripture says, “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1Co 10:31). First Corinthians 6:20 reminds us, “You were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”
Christ humbled himself to become a man. Then, he humbled himself further by submitting to the Father’s will in everything. Then, he humbled himself further still by dying on a cross. And why? To save us from an eternity under God’s wrath.
It reminds me of something Charles Spurgeon once wrote:
Do you believe that your sins are forgiven and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now?
That puts things into perspective.
Perspective Changes Everything
Now, I don’t want to minimize how someone might feel about their job. Maybe you feel utterly dissatisfied with your work or employer. But perspective matters. God loves you. He has saved you by the blood of his Son. He has given you life, not just eternal life but joy in this world even in your work. And no matter how your job feels right now, no matter what happens in this life, he has imperishable, immeasurable, eternal rewards waiting for you. “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1Co 15:58).
But more than that, he has bought you. He has redeemed you at great cost to himself. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are no longer enslaved to pride, greed, dissatisfaction, or anything else that taints your work. You now belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. That changes everything. Work is no longer just work. It is transformed into what it was always meant to be—joyful, God-glorifying service.
Don’t like your boss? Don’t care for your job? Lay that aside for a moment. Remember what you have in Christ. Remember what you have been promised in him. Then, remember Paul’s words about working for men. Ultimately, we do not work for them. For reasons we may not fully understand, God has placed us in a particular job where we are called to “serve the Lord Christ” (Col 3:24). Whether it’s a job you love or a job you struggle to endure, “serve the Lord Christ.”
Paul also reminds us to examine our motives. Maybe you have a job you love. What drives you to show up every day? Do you work for human approval or applause? Do you work merely for a paycheck or for the prestige that comes with your position? The Christian works with sincerity, desiring above all to honor our heavenly Father.
When we wake up in the morning and consider the work ahead, many things might run through our minds. If we dread the day, we might tell ourselves, “Well, I have to do it. I need the paycheck.” Maybe we’re more noble and say, “I do it for my family.” And that is a good motivation. Paul told Timothy, “If anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Ti 5:8). By all means, work for your family. But what should our primary motivation be?
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people” (Col 3:23).
Our work should be fueled by thanksgiving to God for all he has done for us.
Of course, we fail in many ways. We get tired and frustrated. We fall short of serving Christ with thankful hearts. Sometimes, we get lazy. We show up late, leave early, waste time, or do things halfheartedly. Maybe we fall into the trap of seeking praise from people or being consumed by a love for money. But that brings us right back to the realities of the gospel. Even in our work, we are resting in Christ. We are not trying to earn God’s favor through our jobs, which would only lead to either despair or pride. And when we fail, the gospel reminds us that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:39). His mercies are new every morning (La 3:22-23).
But what if you don’t enjoy your job? Maybe you’re seeking a new career or just starting out. Scripture never says, “Thou shalt not do something you enjoy.” But it does call us to submit our desires to the Lord. We should ask: Are my desires godly? Do my passions align with his will? Are my dreams shaped by a Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated vision of life? If so, the next step is prayer—continual prayer—asking for wisdom and direction.
This is especially important for young people. We like to map out every step of our future. We say, “This is what I want to do, and this is exactly how I’ll get there.” But James offers a sobering reminder:
You do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:14-15).
Trusting God with Career Decisions
We need to trust the Lord. We need to trust him when he opens doors, and we need to trust him when he shuts them. It isn’t necessarily wrong to want something better or to have a specific dream, but we must begin from a place of humble reliance on him. He may have something far greater than we imagined, but he may also take us down a much different path than we would have chosen for ourselves.
Think of Joseph. When he was still in Canaan, I doubt he ever thought, One day, I’ll be a powerful man in Egypt. But that’s exactly where God led him—only after years of suffering. Even if Joseph had dreamed of such a position (and technically, he did), slavery and imprisonment would not have been the path he chose to get there. Our ways are not God’s ways.
That’s why we start here: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight” (Pr 3:5-6).
Consider Acts 16, where Paul tries to take the gospel into parts of Asia Minor. There’s no indication that the Lord told him to go there, but his mission was clear. He was commissioned to preach, and these people needed to hear the gospel. So, he went. But then we read, “They had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (Ac 16:6). Paul adjusts his plan and moves in another direction, but again, “The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (Ac 16:7). Finally, God reveals where Paul needs to go.
I’ve always found that story interesting. Paul had a noble desire: I want to take the gospel to lost people. He made a plan. He didn’t wait for a sign from heaven. He simply went. But as Proverbs reminds us, “A person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps” (Pr 16:9). That’s exactly what happened. Paul’s original plan wasn’t God’s plan, but in the end, God’s plan prevailed. And, in time, Paul did preach the gospel in Asia Minor just not when or how he first expected.
So, if you have aspirations for a different job or career, the best place to begin is with a posture of humility and trust in God’s wisdom. Psalm 25:9 says, “He leads the humble in what is right.” Think of how parents try to lead their children in what is right, only to watch them stubbornly go in another direction. When children refuse to humble themselves and submit to wisdom, it often leads to disaster.
David gives us a better example. In Psalm 25, he writes, “LORD, I appeal to you. My God, I trust in you” (Ps 25:1). David doesn’t know what to do. He feels helpless in his situation, so he turns to the Lord: “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but you do. Help me. Lead me.” Later, he says, “I wait for you all day long” (Ps 25:5). He knows it is better to wait on the Lord than to grow anxious or discontent.
Waiting Well: Learning Contentment in the Present
If you are in a season of waiting, my encouragement is this: don’t waste that time worrying about your current situation or dwelling on what you dislike about your job. Instead, use that time to grow.
In Philippians 4, Paul is writing from prison. He is not where he wants to be. He is waiting on the Lord, uncertain whether he will be delivered or put to death. Yet, here’s what he writes:
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9)
And just a few verses later, he adds:
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
Let’s break this down.
Shifting Our Focus from Worry to Worship
First, Paul says, don’t worry.
Do you feel like your job has become a prison? Paul understands. He was in an actual prison when he wrote, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Php 4:6). Stop worrying. Start praying. And even more, be thankful.
Again, this is coming from a man in chains. So how can he tell us to be thankful in everything?
Read Spurgeon’s words again:
Do you believe that your sins are forgiven and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now?
Maybe you’re thinking, Sure, one day, I’ll be with the Lord in heaven. But not today. Today, I’m stuck in a job I hate.
But Paul says that today, through prayer and thanksgiving, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [can] guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Php 4:7). Pray. Give thanks. You already have more than enough to be thankful for.
Then, Paul gives another command: dwell on what is good.
This goes against our nature. We tend to fixate on what’s wrong. But Paul says, “No. Fix your mind on what is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.”
And this applies to all of life. If you struggle with discontentment, bitterness, or unthankfulness, take a step back and evaluate what is feeding those feelings. Turn off the news. Step away from social media. These things don’t cultivate a spirit of gratitude or contentment. They feed on negativity. The news industry, for example, thrives on maximizing viewership, and they do so by capitalizing on human nature. They know we are drawn to drama and bad news, so they give us an endless supply. But Paul says, “Turn your focus elsewhere.” “Do this,” he says, “and the God of peace will be with you” (Php 4:9).
Finding Joy in Every Circumstance
So, if you’re in a job you don’t enjoy, waiting on the Lord for another opportunity, use this time wisely. Work on yourself.
Learn the secret of contentment. Serve with cheerfulness. Psalm 100 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are his—his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Ps 100:2-3).
Joy is not tied to ideal circumstances. Paul was singing praises in a prison cell because he knew that his joy was found in the Lord, not his surroundings.
Listen to Peter’s words in 1 Peter 2:
Household slaves, submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel. For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:18-23)
Granted, Peter is speaking about suffering specifically for being a Christian. But maybe that’s why you’re struggling in your job. Maybe you’re surrounded by unbelievers who mock your faith. Regardless, Peter says that enduring suffering with patience and faith is commendable before God.
And Christ is the supreme example. He suffered unjustly at the hands of cruel and spiteful people, yet he did not sin. He did not complain. He did not retaliate. Why? Because he “entrusted himself to the one who judges justly” (1Pe 2:23). He knew that despite his temporal suffering, he would be exalted in the end. And so will we.
Work in Light of Eternity
After Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand, he crossed the sea, but the crowds followed him. When they found him, he said:
Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him. (John 6:26-27)
Of course, Jesus isn’t saying we shouldn’t work. He’s showing us that our work isn’t everything. As he said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Mt 6:33).
Finding the perfect job should not be our highest priority. Seeking God should be. Knowing Christ, doing what is right regardless of circumstances, dwelling on what is good—that’s our priority. When we set our hearts on the Lord, everything else falls into its proper place. Work remains important, but it no longer defines us. Instead, it becomes another way we honor him, trust him, and reflect his goodness in the world.
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