If we are to embark on a series concerning vocation, we ought to make sure we are cooking with the same kind of grease. We must a have a clear goal which implies having the right words. Words mean things. When we say work, what do we mean? When we speak of vocation, what exactly are we referring to? What about calling? What do we do with a calling? Before I get to ahead of myself, let’s focus on work for now.
Work
Work is good. Hard work is good. God works and displays his work daily. Each and every second of everyday is evidence God works. He holds all things by the power of his word. Every molecule obeys his command. God is creator. In six days he did make all things by the power of his word. On the seventh day he rested from his labor. That is not to say all things stopped or ceased to function but that God ceased from his work of creating and looked over all that he created and saw that it was good.
On the sixth day, God made man in his image. In his image has many implications we will not get into here, but we can determine one communicable attribute present. It was that as God works, man will work. Adam was given a commission from God to be fruitful and multiply. To fill the earth with God’s image. This is work. It is good work. This commission and command is all encompassing. All of Adam’s life was to do as the Lord had commanded. It was work and it was good.
Prophet, Priest, King
Adam being the first man was the primary representation of mankind before holy God. You could say he was the first prophet, priest, and king. These are no small occupations. He, as the representative of God or his vice regent, also had the obligation of representing God before the rest of creation. This included later the woman who God formed from the rib of Adam after there was no one else suited for Adam as a help meet.
Adam was the first prophet of God who did speak his commands to his betrothed, the first priest who stood as mediator between God and the rest of creation, and the first king who was to take dominion over all the earth by order of God himself. And this work, this mighty task, was good.
Conclusion
All this to say work is good. It was not a result of the fall of man in Genesis three. Work was cursed in the punishment of God towards Adam but work was already present. The job just got a lot more difficult. Work is good. It’s difficult but good. A proper theology of work means a proper approach to work. God works. We work for his glory.
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