In the month of January our students focus on the virtue of work in William Bennett’s, The Book of Virtues. In Genesis 2:15 we read “And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.”
“A man is a worker. If he is not that, he is nothing.”
Joseph Conrad
Right from the start we were created to work. Prior to the fall in the garden, work was a noble and worshipful activity, reflecting the example and character of the LORD. After the fall work remained virtuous despite not being as inherently fruitful.
“Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do.”
Elbert Hubard
We live in a day and age when many view work as an exchange of service for money. So, because our society has shifted to more welfare supported, work seems unnecessary to many. However, as Christians we have the joy and duty to imitate God through work, fulfilling our purposeful design. Yes, working has a practical good resulting from it but more important and more foundational is that working with the right heart attitude is worship, a glorifying of God. If this perspective is adopted by each of us our lives and our world will never be the same.
