Work is Important for a Successful Business
When I was a young mother, I struggled to understand that changing diapers and bandaging skinned knees was valuable work. Then one day I learned where the idea of work originated and my opinions transformed.
Business at Your Best is a blog devotional series which gives us an opportunity to examine our business practices against God’s wisdom and guidance. First of all, let’s define work.
What is work?
Work is an activity involving mental or physical effort done to achieve a purpose or result. Yet, I wonder if there’s more to it than that.
How does God define work?
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” — Gen. 2:15 (ESV)
It seems like God defines it exactly the same as Webster with an additional facet: God gave us a job before the fall. Therefore, every task I attempted throughout the day as a young mother was valuable. Work is a gift and not a chore. However, the fall flipped every good thing God had made upside down, which included our mandate to “keep or tend the garden.”
Thankfully, God gave us his word as part of his redemptive plan to flip right side up all the wrongs from the fall.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
How can we apply God’s view of work to our businesses?
- Determine to listen and believe God.
- Meditate on his word and ask for his Spirit to guide us.
- Pray.
- Reflect on your business in light of God’ word.
MEDITATION
Let’s spend a few moments with the Lord and open our hearts to the Spirit’s guidance about our businesses in light of his Word.
- “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” — Proverbs 28:19
- “From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.” — Proverbs 12:14
- “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3
- “Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” — Proverbs 31:31
PRAYER
Dear Father in Heaven,
Please show me areas where my attitude or beliefs don’t line up with your ways.
Love,
Your daughter in Christ
REFLECTION
Why do you work?
How do our labors honor God?
What fruit can you expect when you follow God’s way of doing business?
NEXT TIME
The next time we meet we’ll think about the truth and consider how we can make our businesses the best they can be by using God’s wisdom about the truth.
Work by Grace,
