The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
“The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.”
Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1963) reading for August 4.
Work was good before the fall of humankind and still is good. That notion is under attack. Many think work is a necessary evil, when in reality, it’s God’s design for us as workers. The fall just made work more difficult for us. Work shapes us, our relationships, our influence, and our world. It’s so much more than how we make an income. It’s how God shapes our entire lives.
Speaking of how work shapes us, Sammy and I tried to catch a Muskie on a fly all day yesterday. We worked hard for 13 hours. The work made us better fishermen and bonded us with a fellow fisherman, Zack Skoglund. We will work at it another 6 hours this morning before I teach tonight and tomorrow here at Refuge Church in Zimmerman, Minnesota.