In Genesis 1, God invented work by giving humanity a noble role in developing the potential of his creation. In Genesis 2, God put Adam to work in the Garden of Eden. But soon work was marred by the entry of sin into the world.
Genesis 3:17-19 (NLT) God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground…”
So work became toil. Work can be painful. It is a constant struggle against obstacles. Work still has results, but it isn’t easy. Work is hard work!
Yet God’s original mandate to humanity was never rescinded. Work is still noble and still has incredible dignity. It still reflects the image of God – his creativity and effort. Many people spend a lot of energy trying to get out of work. But work helps fulfill the design and destiny of God’s creation. It’s just more difficult now.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- What’s the hardest thing about your job, and why?
- How does the fallen nature of the world affect work?
- What are some ways that sin affects how human beings fulfill the mandate of Genesis 1:26-28? (See God’s Highest Purpose for Work)
- What hope is there for work to be meaningful under the conditions of the Genesis 3 curse?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
