I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. (John. 17:4)

First, God made a man. Then he made a garden and said to the man, ‘Care for it.’

Perhaps you thought work came about as a result of the fall. It’s true, work took on a different meaning at that point, but it’s a mistake to think our first parents had no purpose.

From the time Adam and Eve were created, it’s clear that God intended us to be like him – creative, productive and invested in tasks that contribute to his purposes.

Adam and Eve were put in charge of the garden, and before their selfish decision to disobey God they enjoyed maximum fulfilment in their work.

The Bible says:

‘So the Lord God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever he called them, that was their name’ (Genesis 2:19-20 TLB).

The first job in the universe included identifying the nature, gifts and strength of each creature, and overseeing them. That’s a managerial position! And someone who is busy needs an executive assistant, so Eve was created to be Adam’s ‘helper’.

You need look no further than your Bible to realize that productive work is God’s plan for your life.

A job well done is its own reward. It gives you a sense of value, without which you can get depressed. Don’t fall for the media hype that tells you successful people don’t need to work.

So we have understood from our ‘Word for Today’ that we were each created to fulfil a purpose in life, regardless of how much money is in our bank account.