MAN AND WORK

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work – John 9:4.”

Today, by God’s grace, we shall commence with a series on man and his duties as fashioned by God. However, we shall not expound on all the duties of man but it shall be summarised under three headings. It is true the writer of Ecclesiastes concluded the whole duty of man as two: fear of God and keeping His commandments (obedience) – Ecc. 12:13. As a matter of simplicity, for the next two days beginning from now, we shall trust God to give us precepts concerning man.

Remember the commandment which says –

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work – Ex. 20:9.”

This tells us the intention of God for man. There is work for every man. Every man ought to and is expected to work. It is a command.

In the beginning, reading through the scriptures, you will have to agree with me that God had man in mind all the while He was creating the world and everything in it. The reason God had to create the work is because of man. It was after He created everything that He decided to bring man into the picture. Going with this explanation, it means God created work for man. That is, there is no work without man. If not, there wouldn’t have been this verse –

“…for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground – Gen. 2:5.”

TO TILL THE GROUND – that is work in a way.

In the book of creation, when God declared man to be made, He also added –

“…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth – Gen. 1:28.”

The five-fold duty was given to man even before man was made. You see, that God created work for man and He created man to work. There wouldn’t be man if there is no work. This should speak to us that as far as God is concerned, there is nothing called lack of employment. There is work for every man. As of Him, He gives [work not wisdom only] liberally.

The world might not have a place to accommodate every man. Perhaps that is the reason we are hearing terms like lack of employment, unemployment, insufficient jobs and the likes. This is common with man and his systemic world. As for God, nothing catches Him unawares. He has work for every man. And every man has to work.

In the parable of the labourers in the book of Matthew chapter twenty, we see that while some men appeared to be without work as though there was no work for them, it was as if they had no work to do, yet God had provision for all of them. Listen, the world may tell you there is no work. They can come up with all forms of postulation stating the reasons the rate of unemployment will increase and the low man power in the labour market. As for God, He has provision for you. He has provided a work for you. When the householder saw some labourers who seemed not to have something doing, He said

“Go ye also into the vineyard.”

I pray for those who seem not to have work to do that the Lord will visit us all today and shall be gainfully employed.

More so, God works. The first account of God as far as the scripture is concerned is about work – GOD CREATED – Gen. 1:1. He is a working God. Yes, He rested but that was after He had finished the work – Gen. 2:1-2. And Christ Jesus also works. That is the reason He said the statement written above. He also declared –

“My Father worketh hitherto I work – Jn. 5:17.”

If you are a child of God and you are not working, then you are not His child. God works and His children must do the same. If there is work and you are not doing it, you are lazy. God is not lazy. Lazy men tempt the devil. My prayer is that the Lord will quicken the heart of His children to work and He will also grant us the right attitude to work in the name of Jesus Christ.


Work is also a way God’s children can show forth His glory. For Christ said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven - Mat. 5:16.” It is that part of good works and glorify your Father that strikes the balance in this. It is very difficult if not impossible for a non-working child of God to bring Him glory. God takes glory in the working or work of His children. Do you want to give God glory? Work!

WORKING GREETINGS

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