In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1, NIV
Some Christians think of work as a great place to witness—that’s true. But is that the limit of God’s interest in your work? Others think of work as simply a means of getting money—it is a necessary evil. But is that all your work is?
The problem with these views of work is that both of them see work as a means to an end. The secular end is money. The spiritual end is evangelism. But neither of these views see any intrinsic value in the work that you do.
Your work reflects the image of God
The Bible begins with God working: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). God’s work was completed by His words (“Let there be light”) and by His hands.
In this way God dignifies manual work and executive work. The God of the Bible gets His hands dirty. He came among us as a carpenter. But God also makes things happen by giving directions. So God gives dignity, by His own example, to the manual worker and the professional worker.
Your work reflects the image of God and it fulfills a calling from God. God planted a garden, and then He gave Adam responsibility for cultivating what God had made. Right from the beginning you see this partnership in which Adam participates in the work of God.
God made you not simply to observe His works, but to participate in them. When God plants a garden, He puts it under the care of a gardener (Adam). When God creates a human life, He places that life in the arms of a mother. And when God sent His Son into the world, He entrusted the good news about Him to His church.
How does your work reflect the image of God?
