Wired for Work

<p>Did you know that work is part of God’s loving plan for us? Work is a good thing. The first thing God did after He created Adam and Eve was give them work to do. It was only after humans sinned that work became difficult—and sometimes frustrating—but that doesn’t mean we can’t find joy and satisfaction in our work. God Himself works, and since He created us in His image, work is one of the things we’re wired for (John 5:17). Our work isn’t futile, because God uses the work of those who love Him for His good purposes. Even everyday tasks that don’t seem very important are valuable in His kingdom.</p><p>.</p><p>Work done well and with justice also points to the new reality of God’s kingdom, His loving reign over His people and His restored relationship with them. Jesus (who is God) announced that the kingdom of heaven has come near. Because He wants us to be part of His kingdom, Jesus died and rose again, defeating sin and death, and He will return someday to make all things new, free from the effects of sin. Then work won’t be toilsome any longer, and everyone who knows Jesus will live together with Him on the new heavens and new earth, doing work that is fulfilling and God-honoring.</p><p>.</p><p>But while we’re still living in a world that’s broken by sin, things don’t always go justly in the places where we work. Sometimes, employers treat their employees unfairly, and sometimes, people experience illness or injury or other hard circumstances that make it so they cannot work in the ways they were expected to, or even work at all.</p><p>.</p><p>But even if we find ourselves unable to work, as Christians, we can still find joy in another person’s work—and that’s the work of Jesus. By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus beat sin and death. No matter what we go through, we can find rest and joy in Him, knowing that He finished the work of our salvation, and even now He is working in our hearts to make us more like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we wait for Jesus’s return, He calls u