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I must confess that for most of my life, I mistakenly believed that “work” was just a result of the fall in Genesis 3. Somehow I had overlooked the fact that in Genesis 2:15 we learn that “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” This was pre-fall, before sin had entered the picture! In the perfect world that God created, humankind had meaningful and fulfilling work! It’s only as a result of sin that we find the curse in Genesis 3:17-19 – that our work will be frustrated, filled with toil, aggravation and struggle because of how sin has warped God’s beautiful creation. All of us know too well that there are days when our work is difficult, toilsome or less than fulfilling, but that wasn’t God original design.
So I’m grateful for the work the Lord has given me to do and the many benefits that result from that work. I’m also grateful for the work the Lord has given others to do as well. For the teachers who faithfully teach and shape young minds, for the mechanics and tradesmen who do the work that I cannot do (without incurring extra expenses for further repairs or medical treatments), for the farmers who faithfully sow and reap so that others are fed from their labors, and the many others whose work blesses and benefits my life and well-being.
Christ’s Peace,
Lance