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 beginning of any new venture is always exciting. This is why we have so much energy and motivation at the beginning of a new year. It’s a chance to turn our back on the old and the mundane. It is a time to begin new practices and habits and leave what’s not working behind. But one of the things we cannot really change is work. It beckons to us whether we are at the office or at home. One of my mother’s favorite sayings about work was, “Work is a loyal friend. No matter where you go, it will be there waiting when you return.”

God has called every one of us to work and be involved in caring for our world. This is our sacred calling. He put Adam and Eve to work in the garden of Eden, and nothing has changed since then. Proverbs 6:10-11 remind us: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

In a world where many have developed such disdain for work, where terms like “quiet quitting” or “bare minimum Mondays” have become a trend, where the workforce has “simply vanished” into thin air, and where employers struggle to find good hires, we have a great opportunity to shine for Christ, by letting excellent work be our grateful offering to God for allowing us to be co-creators with him; by letting our work be an offering of praise to our Heavenly Father for his bountiful provisions. And let it not be a new year fad, but our established discipline and culture as we continue to care for God’s people and God’s world.

Have a productive and God-honoring week as you faithfully carry out your sacred calling, in your corner of God’s vineyard.