WORK HAS BENEFITS. Who likes to work?

Perhaps you are independently wealthy, or your parents have plenty of money, so you have enough money not to have to work.

But for most of us, we need to work to earn an honest living. More than that, did you know that working has benefits other than money? How does work benefit us?

In this week’s series, we examine the idea of success from the perspective of managing God’s resources, especially as it relates to money and finances.

We look at some practical steps for managing money wisely.

We also look at some of the common pitfalls that come with money management and how to avoid them.

In our previous lesson in terms of success, we established that we must place God first on our list and make a financial commitment to him. But it does not stop there, we must work.

Review any of our previous lessons @ SabbathSchoolDaily.com.

Also, you can obtain the study guide to these lessons @ Sabbath.School or ssnet.org 

Inviting God’s Presence

Heavenly Father, how we look at work is not the same as how you view work. Teach us your way.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

There are some who have inherited wealth or may have become wealthy by playing the lottery or some sort.

But in most cases, wealth obtained without work often ends in a sad story. Moreso, those who do not in some capacity work miss out on its benefits.

 However, for those of us who must work and do work, the first thing that comes to mind when just starting a career is what type of work should I do? The common advice is to:

• Find something you are passionate about or enjoy doing.
• Make sure that it pays well.
• Obtain the special training or education you need to get the job.
• Find a company that will hire you to do the job. Or start your own business.
• And finally, remain on that job until you retire.

All that sounds good, but unfortunately, in a less-than-ideal world, life doesn’t always happen that way.

Nevertheless, to survive in this world, we must work whether we like what we are doing or not. 

But, regardless of what type of work you do work, besides a regular income, work has many benefits. Jobscan lists 10 top benefits for working (https://www.jobscan.co/blog/benefits-having-job/)

Included here are the top 5 benefits

1) You get a regular paycheck

2)  You gain a sense of identity and self-worth

 3)  It offers you an intellectual challenge

 4) You obtain the opportunity to learn a new skill

5) It gives you the opportunity to meet new people

Included in this list of the top ten are the social, physical, and psychological benefits of work.

In line with this, in Genesis 2:15, we find that even before sin was introduced into our world, our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, were given a job to do

Genesis 2:15

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

 In Ecclesiastes 9:10, we are council to work with diligence until we are no longer able to do so.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Using the word servant in the place of employee or worker, here is what the Book Message to Young People says about work.

The name “servant” applies to every human; for we are all servants, and it will be well for us to see what mold we are taking on. Is it the mold of unfaithfulness, or of fidelity? 

Is it the disposition generally among servants to do as much as possible? Is it not rather the prevalent fashion to slide through the work as quickly, as easily, as possible, and obtain the wages at as little cost to themselves as they can? 

The object is not to be as thorough as possible but to get the remuneration. Those who profess to be the servants of Christ should not forget the injunction of the apostle Paul, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”—Messages to Young People, p. 229.

We receive the following example from Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:8–10 about work.

8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:8–10)

In other words, God expects us to work. Work is not a punishment, as some may think. God designed work for our good. Work is a blessing from God. He instituted work in the Garden of Eden.

Work was a part of Adam and Eve’s perfect life before sin. God gave it to us because He knew that we humans needed to work.

It says in the book Our High Calling, “And to Adam was given the work of caring for the Garden. The Creator knew that Adam could not be happy without employment. The beauty of the Garden delighted him, but this was not enough. He must have labor to call into exercise the wonderful organs of the body. Had happiness consisted in doing nothing, man, in his state of holy innocence, would have been left unemployed. But He who created man knew what would be for his happiness; and no sooner had He created him, than He gave him his appointed work. The promise of future glory, and the decree that man must toil for his daily bread, came from the same throne.”—Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, p. 223.

The point is that before sin, work was pleasant and a delight, but after the Fall, sin made work more difficult. God said to Adam in Genesis 3:17: “ ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life’ ” (Genesis. 3:17, NKJV).

Did you notice?  God cursed the ground for “your sake,” for the sake of Adam, with the idea that work would be something that we would need.  As a fallen being, we would especially need to labor.

You see, In the beginning the Lord enjoined upon man the cultivation of the earth. This work was made much harder because of the transgression of the law of God. By transgressing, man worked against his own present and eternal good. The earth was cursed because through disobedience man gave Satan opportunity to sow in the human heart the seeds of evil. The ground that in the beginning produced only good began to produce tares, and their growth called for continual warfare.—This Day With God, p. 12.

So, although work is a dreaded word for some, in reality, work is a blessing from God.

Yes, work is not something that we naturally desire. As a matter of fact, many today prefer not to work at all. As parents, what is our role in preparing our children for work? Find out on Day 4: The Earning Years

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