The Bible is obviously pro-work, as deduced from the sheer volume of occurrences of the word.

The word “work” appears in the Bible over 700 times.

So, let’s get to work and review a brief theology of work.

1. We first see that work is part of God’s original design.

Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it,” or work it.

Work is not a curse; work is part of God’s design from the beginning. Adam was working before the fall; then sin brought the curse that made labor painful and difficult. We also find that God gave Adam a job before He gave him a wife. His job was to cultivate and take care of God’s Garden. But with sin’s curse, work became much harder as the ground worked against him.

This matters because many people think of work only as frustration, pressure, and survival. But biblically, work began as a stewardship before it became a struggle. Sin did not create work; sin corrupted work.

So when we work in a God-honoring way, we are recovering part of God’s original intention for humanity.

2. Secondly, work is redeemed by Christ’s work of grace.

Ephesians 2:8–10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We are not saved by work, but we are saved for good works. Grace does not produce laziness in the believer. Grace produces purpose. It reshapes our lives for meaningful obedience.

3. Thirdly, our daily work life is an offering to the Lord.

The Holy Spirit teaches us generally and specifically in Colossians 3:23–24. “And whatever [work] you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Ordinary work becomes worship when it is done unto the Lord!

This means the Christian does not have to stand in a pulpit or on a stage to honor God through work. Office workers, handymen, homemakers, mechanics, nurses, retirees, salesmen, students, and teachers, all serving faithfully, have meaningful work before the Lord. When our attitude, consistency, and honesty are offered to Him, our labor becomes an act of worship.

4. Fourthly, our body of work is seen by others.

Matthew 5:14–16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

This passage was transformative for me in the mid-90s.

I’d only been preaching for a little over a year in northeast Alabama when I produced a radio ministry program that I called “Works of Light.” For about 1½ years, I was live on air early Sunday mornings. I quoted this passage nearly every week.

My main point has always been: Our work and conduct should visibly point people to God. Like it or not, people are reading our lives every day. They watch how we carry responsibility, how we handle pressure, how we respond to inconvenience, and whether our conduct matches our confession. Our body of work says something about the God we claim to serve.

Our fifth facet of work for followers of Christ is this…

5. Our works are empowered for God’s glory.

John 14:11–13, Jesus says, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Our “in Christ” works serve a higher purpose than we can fathom on this side of imperfect knowledge. Our labors are not merely earthly productivity; they are participation in the works of Christ through dependence on Him, to the glory of God.

This keeps us from thinking too small.

Are you thinking too small about what God is doing through your daily work life?

A believer’s labor, offered in faith and dependence upon Christ, can become a vessel through which the Lord touches other people, answers prayer, and displays His glory.

---

Wrapping it up, let’s summarize our work like this.

Work is part of God’s design, redeemed by Christ, offered unto the Lord, seen by others, and empowered for His glory.

So let’s not despise, fear, or waste work.

Whether our work is public or private, paid or unpaid, seen by many or seen only by God, it matters to Him. The Lord calls us to labor faithfully, serve humbly, and trust Him to use even our ordinary efforts for eternal good.

In Christ, our work is no longer just about making a living; it is part of making a life that glorifies God.