"Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it." (Genesis 2:15 NASB 1995)
God puts us in specific workplaces for the purpose of care and keeping. Adam surely thought he was tending to the garden, but gardening tended to his soul, too. Our earthly work assignments are intentional and formational, not random and exasperating. This is a great Monday reminder as most of us slough off the remains of the weekend and make our back to way to work morning.
When Adam went to in the Garden, and even everything after the Garden, God went to work with Him. You and I get to take God with us work, also. The promise He made in Joshua 1:9 has been reiterated in countless ways throughout both testaments. “for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” WYWYG. (I’m scribbling it on my hand again this morning!)
It’s astonishing; we never have to go to work without Him. Even at my wildly secular job, I have felt His presence daily. It’s especially obvious on the edges of my shift, when the sun is low on the horizon and the breeze is cooler by a couple degrees. But I also find Him in conversations with strangers and coworkers, and in quiet moments when I take a breath and reach out for Him.
God goes with us to work. He’s called us to specific workplaces and He promises to go alongside us. It’s only our awareness that needs adjusting. We work best when we work with God. We toil fruitlessly without Him.
In our co-laboring, we discover how work and worship are connected. When we recognize God’s with-ness at work, we begin to worship at work. We are not longer alone in our struggles, we are cooperating with His Spirit to accomplish His purposes. And suddenly, work becomes holy.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whose you serve." (Colossians 3:23-24 NASB 1995)
Lord, help us worship You at work this week. Go with us. Guide us. Guard our hearts against the lies and attacks of the enemy. Let our work be worship as we cooperate with Your Spirit in every situation. Help us trust Your placement and appreciate Your nearness. Amen.