Work: It's a Good Thing

Photo by Vignesh Moorthy

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:6–11 NIV).

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat’” (2 Thessalonians 3:7–10 NIV).

“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Ephesians 4:18 NIV).

I have this friend who I met some 13 years ago. At that time, he was only in his very early 20s. While he worked a full-time job, he was in the process of building his own landscaping company, which he began at the age of 16. Altogether, he easily worked 80 hours per week. While that would be an extraordinarily rigorous work schedule for anyone to keep, he was extremely driven to make his business a success and was willing to do whatever it took.

Fast forward to today, and my friend’s landscaping company is quite large, doing well over a million dollars’ worth of business annually. Recently, I had a conversation with him regarding the biggest challenge that his business now faces. Having heard similar things from several other business folk in a variety of industries, I can’t say I was terribly surprised from what he told me.

He said that these days it’s almost impossible to stay fully staffed with employees. Despite offering a generous wage (especially for entry-level personnel), on-the-job training, and potential for advancement in the company, he simply cannot find enough people who want to work.

Of course, a proper balance between work and rest and between one’s occupation and other important aspects of his or her life (family, church, etc.) are crucial. There are indeed many people who are so consumed with advancing their career or earning a high salary that they end up damaging their health, relationships, and sometimes even the very job into which they invested so much time and effort.

However, there are many others who in my estimation lack a “work ethic”—that is, as the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it, “a belief in work as a moral good.”

The Bible has something to say about work as a central characteristic of what it means to be human. Indeed, God designed us for the express purpose of fulfilling a task in the world and thereby bringing blessing to the rest of creation (see Genesis 1:26–28 and 2:15).

Let me be clear: one’s value as a human being is not defined by what she or he is able to produce or materially contribute to society. And there are certainly those of us who are unable to work, at least in the conventional sense, because of severe physical or mental disabilities, advanced age, and/or other preventative reasons. These persons are valuable because of who they are, human beings created in God’s image, and they can be a blessing simply by virtue of their existence.

Nevertheless, for everyone else, there is an inherent responsibility—a moral imperative—to engage in productive labor, whatever it may be. To choose not to do so is to live a distorted way of life—a less than fully human one. Ultimately, true freedom comes not by casting off one’s duties but rather living according to everything that God has called you to be.

So go to work. It’s a good thing.