Why Work?

I came across an interesting perspective the other day, while researching a question about 1 Thessalonians 4.  The question was part of a christian Bible study booklet about work.  It asked what the goal of our work is to be.  

Here’s the context of 1 Thessalonians 4:

verse 1: live to please God, and do so more and more in your life

verse 3: God intends us all to become ‘holy’ or whole, perfect images of who HE is, faithful representatives

verses 4-9: work to cultivate the gifts and talents God has given you to honour Him and to care for His creation

verse 10: like verse 1…live to please God and do so more and more in your life
verse 11: cultivate your OWN ground!  Work and rest in the pattern God gave in creation.  Do this because you love, honour and trust Him.
Verse 12: If you do this (live as instructed in the previous verses) you will be a faithful and honest witness of God's power in your life, and you will be a proper encouragement and model to others, and not be seen to be lacking towards the responsibility God has given you. 

The context of verse 11 isn't really the labour done in a job (a job to make money), its talking about a more important work, the similar kind of ‘work’ that Adam was given to do, work to rule over and to maintain the creation in the pattern God gave.  A ‘job’ is just a small part of this.

If you translate verse 11 simply from the Greek that the letter we have was first recorded in, it could say:

Because you love to honour God, be faithful in accomplishing what He intends for you to do.  ‘Sabbath’ or cease from YOUR will and rest and trust in God’s will.  Make it your practice to exercise God’s will, not yours.  Do this in God’s pattern, by the help He gives in His Word, and YOU do it, not relying on another to do it for you.

So the two reasons God has given us to work, could be seen as to honour Him (to love Him) and to be an effective and encouraging model for others (to love others).  The two greatest commandments!