The BIBLICAL DOCTRINE of WORK | Wisdom of Work (Proverbs)

How we view labor and work has a great deal to do with whether we appreciate it or hate it. In the so-called modern society we are cheered onward to “work” so that we may get to a place in our life where we do not have to work. But those who appreciate the wisdom of work and enjoy accomplishment and the role that the process plays in the greater scheme of life, continue working even when they do not have to do so to survive. Work existed before the fall of man (Genesis 2). That work because laborious was a consequence of man’s disobedience. That work was now hard and even painful was made part of the curse God placed upon Adam, just as labor and pain in childbirth were for Eve and all women after her. But man was always intended to work. Just as God’s design originally was for us to care for the Garden, that work continued after the fall, work will continue into the new creation. Working for the glory of God was in our past, is in our present, and will be in our future. But, if for no other reason than “How Our Work Keeps Us,” we should embrace the wisdom and gift from God that we call work. So let’s consider this in our study. If there were a universal income, should we stop working? Is that the best way to go for a society? Or, perhaps reconstituting the inherent, God-given value of work in our lives is a more productive (excuse the pun) route.