Work ethic and Matthew 11:28

There’s wisdom in finding work-life balance and putting aside time for rest and recreation. However, a strong work ethic shouldn’t be seen as a roadblock to happiness and fulfillment.

We don’t often think of work as a good thing. Many of us long for retirement or wish for a world where we can work less and play more. We think of Matthew 11:28, longing for the rest Jesus promised when He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

In fact, work was even part of the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve were cast out. We derive fulfillment from our work, but it’s easy to overlook this in the face of discontentment. How can we affirm the truths of work? Let’s look to Scripture.

Working world

Work is a massive part of our lives on Earth. The average person will spend one-third of their entire life at work. That number might seem daunting—and maybe even a little depressing—but it doesn’t need to be. Work wasn’t intended to be a negative factor in life—God intended us to work from the onset of creation, even before the fall.

Genesis 2:15 [NIV] says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Before Satan tempted humankind and the curse of sin entered the world, we were called to work.

This was all a part of God’s perfect plan for us. It makes sense, too, since work provides fulfillment for most people. We weren’t created to sit around and do nothing; we were created to enrich God’s world through our unique gifts and talents.

Bible verses about hard work

Imagine how fulfilling a life dedicated to God’s service would be. Now, make your imagination your reality—our work ethic should always point back to Christ. Here are some verses that explain this concept:

•  “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31 [NIV]
• “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23 [NIV]
• “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3 [NIV]

With every word you speak, every action you take, and every success you experience, always glorify God. This holds true whether you work in ministry, a secular workplace, or if you’re self-employed—everything you do can and should be God-honoring.

Even if the people around you aren’t receptive, you should still glorify God. Besides, our focus should be on eternal things—not worldly gain [John 6:27 NIV].

Understanding this mindset automatically builds in the motivation for good work ethic to our everyday living. If you’re working for God—and you are—why wouldn’t you give Him your best?

Go to work—even if you don’t want to

This isn’t a recommendation. Scripture’s clear that this life requires work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 [NIV] says, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” And Galatians 6:4-5 [KJV] shares a similar sentiment: “For every man shall bear his own burden.”

Essentially, if you don’t carry your load and don’t put in the work to eat, someone else is. While the Body of Christ is encouraged to help carry the loads and burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ [Galatians 6:2 ESV], it’s not an excuse for inaction. Your heart should focus on how to help and serve others, not on how to get the most out of others to benefit yourself.

The Bible and work

We’re all given gifts for which to glorify God. Romans 12:6 [ESV] says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” We’re called to use them—not hide them away.

Perhaps the best example of this is the Parable of the Talents [Matthew 25:14-30 ESV]. A master gives his servants different amounts of wealth (talents) to manage and take care of while he journeys. Two of the servants stewarded their talents well and generated more. The third hid away his talent for fear of misusing it. When the master returned, he rebuked the servant who didn’t steward the talent well.

Similarly, we have God-given gifts and talents, and we’re supposed to use those gifts to bring glory to God. We’re supposed to cultivate our talents, make them better, and serve others with them. We can’t achieve this without putting in effort.

Proverbs 18:9 [ESV] says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” Essentially, if we don’t put effort into our work, we’re compared to those who actively try to destroy. With every project or task we touch, we should give our all for the glory of God.

Good work ethic

While stewarding our time and effort seems daunting, we have a God who loves us and cares for us. We don’t have to be a one-man island. When we pursue God’s glory and will, His favor rests on us, and He will establish the work we do [Psalm 90:17 NIV]. God’s blessings extend to those who faithfully and resiliently pursue Him in all they do.

And in moments where your work becomes stress filled and overwhelming, God wants to help us through it bringing us full circle, back to Matthew 11:28 [NIV]. Rather than a verse to get us out of work, we can trust that as we follow God, we can bring our difficulties to Him and He will give us rest.

Whatever you do, to God give all the glory, and trust Him to take care of the rest.

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