Over the last decade or two lots of Christian thinkers have been addressing the nature and role of work. This is terrific! I’ll share some of these resources below. But here I want to offer a one page theology of work to capture the heart of how Christians can think about the nature of work and their role in work.
One page is certainly incomplete. But God willing this framework will be a great start to thinking more deeply and clearly about work and faith.
We’ll explore work under four headings of Biblical theology
Creation
Sin & Fall
Redemption
New Creation
Creation
Work is part of God’s good creation. (Gen 2)
It is a gift. It is not a curse.
The language used of work in the Garden of Eden is to serve and keep the garden. (Gen 2:15)
It is the same language used to describe the role of the priests in the temple before God.
Adam and Eve’s work was serving God in this world!
God’s world was made for more people (hence the command to multiply). So Adam and Eve’s work, rightly understood was to both create more gardeners and to serve them as well by their work. Their work was to serve God, their neighbours (intially their family) and creation.
God himself rests after his work, though he does not need rest. Thus, work has an end – rest. Which tells us work is not the goal of our existence before God (Gen 2:1-3).
Sin & Fall
Work, though good, has been cursed. (Gen 3, Ecclesiastes)
Work cannot reach its full freedom.
Work is subject to the thwarted purposes of creation. (Rom 8:18-23)
Though fallen, work still retains some of the creation goodness. (Ecc 2:10)
So, we must keep in our minds both the goodness of work and its fallenness.
The fall shatters the connection between our work, its outcome and any sense of permanence. Any goodness in life and work depends on grace. (Ecclesiastes 2, 6)
Unemployment is an outworking of the fall & sometimes sin. Looking for work, being unemployed, is hard work! It is in a sense, creating work for yourself to do. Being unemployed is not the same as being unemployable.
Work was never made to give us identity. Our identity comes from knowing and serving God. To seek to find your identity in your work will lead to wreckage in your life and relationships because your work cannot bear this load. It is idolatry. (Romans 1)
Redemption
Work is redeemed because of Christ. His great saving work on the cross is the true work of God. Jesus is the true great worker (John 6, 10).
We are to believe in his work for us! (John 6:29)
Work is now done serving Jesus even when serving other people (Col 3:22-25)
Work is done to serve others, it has an other person focus, which also serves culture and society.
Work is done to gain for the sake of others. (Eph 4:27)
Work will still be frustrating, difficult and thwarted – for though redeemed we are not yet in the new creation.
The connection between work and reward is changed by Jesus. Many people only work for the rewards that come from work: status, pay, and identity. When theses don’t come (and they won’t, in a way that fulfils) work crushes us. But since Jesus ensures a reward for us in him we can work now knowing that reward comes from Jesus, even when we don’t see reward for our work in this life. (Col 3:22-25). We are freed up to serve in our work. We are freed up to serve in work even when the rewards in this life for our work are small.
New Creation
Work is good and important, but the greatest work is gospel work because it pierces through into the new creation.
Again, we must hold the tension. Work is good. It is a good gift and now in the gospel is part of serving Jesus. (Col 3:22-26)
But, gospel work is the greater work in light of heaven and hell. ( 1 Cor 3:5-15, Matt 4:18-20; 6:33-34)
There will be work in the new creation for it is part of the goodness of the new creation.
The work in the new creation will be perfect in its rest for we will already have our perfect rest in God.
This work in the new creation will not be thwarted but will achieve its ends in God.
Resources
Book: Revolution work by William Taylor
Book: Every Good Endeavour by Tim Keller