By: Elizabeth Haarberg

How to Work

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

Before I became a Christian, work was a very clear and concise goal. Being ambitious and climbing the ladder was my laser focus. I found a lot of success and satisfaction in work

Since becoming a Christian, my struggle with where work fits in has been a challenge. Why do we work? What’s the true point of work? How do I balance goals and not become obsessed with production?

As I’m investigating work, I see that God hovers over his work area that will eventually become Earth.

“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2 ESV

God “hovered,” but we don’t know how long he did this. The Hebrew word for ‘hover’ also means flying, levitation, and browsing. It appears God is evaluating and thinking. So, if God hovered before creating maybe we should do something similar. Pressing into God and “hovering” over what the next step is may be a good start toward something rich in our work.

After God hovered, He got busy! He made the world. You can read about all he did in Genesis 1. 

What was His next step after creating the Earth? Rest!

 ^“…God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 ESV

So hover (pray) before we start working and rest. Next in the process of work in Genesis is the curse.

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,” Genesis 3:19 ESV

God cursed the human race after Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Fortunately, he had a trap door waiting for people to escape the curse: Jesus!

“Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)—'” Galatians 3:13 AMP

This verse makes me so happy! We no longer are held to the curse in Genesis 3. We are free!

“For freedom Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1 ESV

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

So, what does this mean for work? We know we are to pray and hover over our work before we begin, rest when we are weary, and flow in the Holy Spirit who has come to give us power and comfort and Jesus who came to set us free from the original curse.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado