God instituted 'work' in the second chapter of Genesis, the Book of Beginnings. God gave the principle of work to man for his blessing. God gave the work ethic before the fall of man. After the fall, fatigue and pain were associated with work, but it was established before the fall as a blessing.

Work is the law of man's being. Work is divinely inspired. If we don't work, we will suffer atrophy in body, mind and spirit. Work is therapeutic - physically, emotionally and mentally. In fact, God was the very first employer.

Genesis 2:5-15, "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden.and the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

'Keep' (shamar) means to 'to hedge about, i.e., to guard, to protect, and to watch.'

'Dress' (avad) in Hebrew means 'to work, serve, labour, toil, till.'

This same Hebrew word 'avad' is translated by a number of different words:

Genesis 5:5, "there was not a man to till the ground."

Isaiah 19:9, "they that work in fine flax."

Ezekiel 48:18, "them that serve the city." (Genesis 29:15; 30:26,29; Exodus

1:13,14; 3:12; 7:16; Jeremiah 22:13)

HOW SHOULD WE WORK?

How does God want us to work? What attitude should we have? The Bible is not silent about this subject but gives us a full understanding of the attitude we should have to the work ethic. Let's look at them together.

1. WILLINGLY.

Judges 5:2, "The people willingly offered themselves."

1 Chronicles 28:9, "Know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a
perfect heart and with a willing mind."

1 Chronicles 28:21, "Every willing skillful man."

Psalm 110: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Proverbs 31:13, "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her
hands."

Isaiah 1:19, "If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the
land."

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9.

2.  DILIGENTLY.

Jeremiah 48:10 RSV, "Cursed is he who does the work of God with slackness."

Proverbs 12:27 TJB, "Diligence is a man's most precious possession."

Romans 12:11 J.B. Phillips, "Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work."

Romans 12:11 GNB, "Work hard and do not be lazy."

3.  MIGHTILY.

Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

4.  HEARTILY.

2 Chronicles 31:21, "Hezekiah.In every work that he began.. He did it with all his heart, and prospered."

Nehemiah 4:6, "The people had a mind ('lev' - heart and soul) to work."

Ephesians 6:6, "Doing the will of God from the heart."

Colossians 3:23. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily." 

5.  FERVENTLY.

Romans 12:11. "Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."

TLB, "Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically."

6.  JOYFULLY.

Deuteronomy 28:47, "All these curses shall come upon thee.... because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart."

7.  THANKFULLY.

Colossians 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

8.  LOVINGLY.

Hebrews 6:10, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

1 Thessalonians 1:3, "your.labor of love.in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." J.B. Phillips' translates it, "Your love has meant hard work."

Galatians 5:13, "By love serve one another."

1 John 3:16-18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in
tongue, but in deed and in truth." The Greek word for 'deed' is 'ergon'
which means 'to make, to work, to do.'

9. FAITHFULLY.

2 Chronicles 34:12, "The men did the work faithfully."

Matthew 25:21,23; Luke 16.10; "He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much."

Hebrews 3:5. "Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant."

10.  BENEVOLENTLY.

Ephesians 6:7 AMP, "Rendering service readily with goodwill."

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