Finding purpose in work...

Genesis 1:15 "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it."

Work is a major theme in the early chapters of Genesis. This word "till" (translated "abad" in Hebrew), has multiple meanings--usually "to work," "to serve," and "to worship." Used all together, they indicate that humans are meant to simultaneously serve and worship their creator through working the land. When sin entered the world, our concept of work and worship and life in general were dramatically altered...but in a state of innocence, these activities were naturally done to God's glory.

Work was then--and still is today--an integral part of the human design. But if you take a look at the creation mandate above, working was only 1 of 4 purposes God gave to Adam and Eve in the garden. The other three were 1) to be fruitful/multiply, 2) to have dominion, and 3) to "keep" the garden. So I guess it's fair to say that we find about a quarter of our fulfillment through doing work. That means it's completely natural to find immense amounts of purpose through the work that we accomplish. The new forms of culture we help cultivate.

Work was a reality pre-fall. We were created to be most at home when we are engaged in cultural activities--when we are free to interact with the earth: guiding and shaping the marvelous raw material from which we were originally shaped...and making something new.

(inspired by Plowing in Hope, 42-47)