Why is this significant? Because it suggests that we live in a world that’s under development, a world that’s heading somewhere. And the work that we do in that world, whether creative or restorative or both, represents a significant contribution to the cosmic mission of God.
So then, as those who bear God’s image, work is necessary not only for our obedience but for our fulfillment. When God put work in the world, he put work into Paradise. The fall of Adam and Eve that ruined everything—relationships, nature, and work—had not happened yet. Work, in other words, is part of the ideal human existence. We cannot and will not flourish fully unless we are doing creative or restorative work that mirrors the work of God, the consummate Creator and Restorer. We cannot and will not flourish fully unless we become contributors seeking to fulfill the universal Christian job description—to use our time, energy, imagination and resources to leave God’s world better than we found it.
If you’ve ever wondered why children instinctively “get to work” each morning, whether it be with crayons and paper or with a pile of Legos…or if you’ve ever wondered why retiring from a career rarely brings greater fulfillment to the retiree, this is why. We have been created to mirror God by creating and restoring, and in so doing leave people, places and things better than we found them.
The Glory of Work
Work is glorious because of how it intersects with God’s ongoing creative, restorative mission in the world. It is glorious because of how it moves God’s Garden toward becoming the Holy City it’s destined to be. But how do we determine whether our vocational endeavors are genuinely good endeavors?
The answer to this question is simple. Any kind of work that leaves people, places or things in better shape than before—any kind of work that helps the city of man become more like the City of God where truth, beauty, goodness, order and justice reign—is work that should be celebrated as good.
Consider music, for example. Creating music involves taking the raw material of sounds and words and fashioning them into a cohesive whole. When carefully arranged, previously disconnected sounds and words have potential to add order to our lives, bring us more deeply in touch with reality, stir our souls, heal our wounds and give us hope. Even Nietzsche, whose worldview was predominantly dark and cynical, said that in music “the passions enjoy themselves” and “without music, life would be a mistake.”
Also, consider janitorial work. Several years ago, I met a man named Joe. In the course of getting to know each other, Joe asked me the standard get-to-know-you-question: “So, what do you do?” As a minister, before I answer that question I prepare for one of two standard reactions: excitement followed by a long conversation about God and church, or that oh boy, this-just-got-awkward look. There’s something about being a minister that causes people to either trust or distrust you instantly.
(But I digress…)
Back to Joe. When the conversation turned to him and I asked him what he did for work, he responded in a way I will never forget. He said, “I just push a broom.”
What? Just? He just pushes a broom? Who in the world told him that he should say or think “just” with regard to his work?
I thought to myself, “What would the world be like without janitors, or for that matter caregivers, shelf-stockers, repairmen and women, mothers and fathers, seamstresses, bus boys, police officers, construction workers, mechanics and others who, though their jobs may be lower in profile and pay, are such high impact and importance that the whole world could not move forward, and in many cases would also fall apart, without them?”
