Work and Our Labor In The Lord

Growing up, my father would always encourage my sister and I that work was good for the soul. He modeled for us what it looked like to work diligently in all areas of life. While I learned a lot from my father in terms of working hard, I really struggled with viewing work as good and good for the soul. 

The fact is that my father was not far from a biblical truth that begins in Genesis. Work is good for the soul, because God made mankind with the purpose of doing fruitful work and labor in his garden, but man's sin made our work toilsome and difficult, and now we're longing for the redemption of all things, including work. 

James M. Hamilton explores this idea of work in his book Work and Our Labor in the Lord. A short but helpful book, Hamilton explores four aspects of our work: creation, work after the fall, redemption, and restoration. 

I've been thinking a lot about work and calling over the past few months and have read several books that focus on why we were made and how we should live out our calling and be good stewards of our callings (Made for More, You Are Free, and What's Best Next). However, this book gives a great introduction to why God made work, why work is good for us, why work is so hard, and how work can and will be redeemed or restored through Jesus. 

Here are some standout quotes:
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“Work is neither punishment nor cursed drudgery but an exalted, Godlike activity”

“This means that at the root level, man’s task is to work in such a way that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting, the name of the Lord is praised, the goodness of God is savored, and the character of God is known and enacted. Thus the work that Adam made impossible by his sin is the work that Jesus has made possible through his death and resurrection and will accomplish when he returns.”

“God built us to do something, and in the new heavens and the new earth we will be liberated to do the work for which God fitted us when he formed us in the womb.”
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If you're looking for a book with a helpful biblical perspective on work and how work will be redeemed, Work and Our Labor in the Lord  should be on your list. 

​Related Posts
The Work of God's Fingers
​Confessions of A Creative Christian
Shadows of Heavenly Things

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I received a free copy of Work and Our Labor in the Lord in exchange for an honest review from Crossway.