“God is good”– This is something that being at Grove City I hope everyone has been able to hear, and if not let me assure you that God is not only Good but also Great. “Work is good”– Being a Grove City student this has been instilled in all of us but not something that is as easy to come to grips with. Well, once again I hope to reassure that work is good. In the book Every Good Endeavor, Timothy Keller points out, that human beings were working in the Garden of Eden. What is even more interesting is that before humans worked, God himself worked and is still doing so. Work was not some evil that came into the world because of the fall, but something that was part of our plan and even our destination from the very beginning. Keller also speaks about the book of John and what it means when Jesus says “My father is always at his work to this very day, and I am too working” John 5:17 (NIV). Keller talks about how God is showing that while creation is good that we are not fully developed into who we are meant to be and this requires God to work vigorously to keep and care for creation. If God is constantly at work, what makes us see work as this necessary evil?
God intended for us to work. We cannot see work as a necessary evil, but as another opportunity to Glorify God. Sales is a great job for being able to do so, sales is a profession that gives us the opportunity to build relationships and show your love for others, something Jesus did on earth when he was low-class carpenter. He displayed how dignity is in any profession if you do so as a faithful servant. Simply, God is Good and intended us to work to glorify him. Sales is a great platform to build relationships, pray for those relationships and be a light in a fallen world.
So WORK!
BoweryJE22
Work is definitely not an evil aspect of humanity, however it is something that can become evil when we place it above God. I believe God designed us to be creatures that are productive and further his kingdom and this can be accomplished in many ways. If we place God above all else work can be used as a form of worship to God and is very good.
It’s interesting that you mention work prior to the Fall, as it is common belief that work was a result of the Fall. Work, however, was not a result of the Fall, but toil was. Toil is working ceaselessly to see few results or only to have to work on the same subject again very soon. The distinction between work and toil, I think, is important in sales when you must decide if a prospect is worth continuing to pursue. If pursuing a prospect is work, it is good. But if pursuing a prospect becomes toil, it may be a good time to go for “no.”
Thanks for the response! Great wisdom 🙂
Larry,
Thanks for sharing this. Definitely an eye-opener for me. Sometimes it’s easy to get into the habit of going through the motions when it comes to work. Instead, it’s definitely important to realize that God gave us the opportunity to glorify Him through all of our work. That it was according to His plan and liking to allow us to have the ability of working.