The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)
So the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (15). Later, once sin entered the world, the ground was cursed, and mankind's work became considerably more difficult (Genesis 3:17-19). The ground began yielding thorns and thistles at that point. But, before the fall, work was part of God's original plan. Still is.
Adam was called to cultivate the gift God had given him. The earth was his to enjoy. He was called to work, and so are we.
And Adam's work likely had a spiritual component to it. His work was a way for him to worship God. In fact, some scholars believe work would be better translated to worship and obey. Like the later priests in God's tabernacle, Adam was the man on God's ground, serving and loving His LORD.
So Adam's work was actually his worship, a way for him to serve God in His holy tabernacle called earth. And I wonder if we could use this passage as a means to energize our work environment. You see, for as much as Jesus-followers think about church life, family health, or personal holiness, a major bulk of our time will be spent working. It would be a crime for us to act as if the Bible says nothing regarding our attitudes and perspectives in the workplace.
Notice Paul's exhortation to the working class in the Colossian church:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23–24, ESV)
In another place, Paul calls this:
“rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man...” (Ephesians 6:7, ESV)
Believers are to consider their work as being done for Jesus, not for their manager or employer, or customer. Our work -- the quality and goodness of it -- is a form of worship. To see the boss as a symbolic stand-in for Christ should fill the Christian with deep inspiration for the work at hand. Seeing the employee as someone Jesus cherishes and has called you to serve should invigorate your work. And seeing the customer as someone who will now benefit from what you have offered to God's created world makes the smallest tasks a blessing.
The workplace is a worship-place. And we must worship daily.
