July 26, 2020 8:00 pm
“Dad, why do you have to go to work?” The question from my young daughter was motivated by her desire to play with me. I would have preferred to skip work and spend time with her, but there was a growing list of things at work that required my attention. The question, nevertheless, is a good one. Why do we work? Is it simply to provide for ourselves and for the people we love? What about labor that’s unpaid—why do we do that?
Genesis 2 tells us that God placed the first human in the garden to “work it and take care of it” (v. 15). My father-in-law is a farmer, and he often tells me that he farms for the sheer love of land and livestock. That’s beautiful, but it leaves lingering questions for those who don’t love their work. Why did God put us in a particular place with a particular assignment?
Genesis 1 gives us the answer. We’re made in God’s image to carefully steward the world He made. Pagan stories of the way the world began reveal “gods” making humans to be their slaves. Genesis declares that the one true God made humans to be His representatives— to steward what He’d made on His behalf . May we reflect His wise and loving order into the world. Work is a call to cultivate God’s world for His glory.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Today's reading, titled, Cultivating God's World, was written by Glenn Pacchium. Dad, why do you have to go to work? The question from my young daughter was motivated by her desire to play with me. I would have preferred to skip work and spend time with her, but there was a growing list of things at work that required my attention. The question, nevertheless, is a good one. Why do we work? Is it simply to provide for ourselves and for the people we love?
What about labor that's unpaid? Why do we do that? Genesis 2 tells us that God placed the first human in the garden to work it and take care of it.
My father-in-law is a farmer and he often tells me he farms for the sheer love of land and livestock. That's beautiful, but it leaves lingering questions for those who don't love their work. Why did God put us in a particular place with a particular assignment? Genesis 1 gives us the answer. We're made in God's image to carefully steward the world he made. Pagan stories of the way the world began reveal God's making humans to be their slaves. Genesis declares that the one true God made humans to be his representatives to steward what he'd made on his behalf. May we reflect his wise and loving order into the world. Work is a call to cultivate God's world for his glory.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Genesis chapter 1 verses 26 through 27 and chapter 2 verse 15. Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God he created them. Male and female he created them. And now chapter 2 verse 15.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you for the honor of joining you in our work in the world. As we go about our day, help us to reflect your love, wisdom, and order in our lives and places of work. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-03-18 14:00:00 / 2024-03-18 14:01:23 / 1
