Pastor Timothy Keller begins Chapter 5 (“Work Becomes Fruitless”) of Every Good Endeavor by reminding us that while the Bible has a rich view of God’s design for work, that isn’t how we experience it. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, the author emphasizes that we need to have some understanding of how sin distorts work in order to counteract sin’s effects and salvage a portion of the satisfaction God planned for our work.
Pastor Keller notes that when God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17), God really was asking them to obey Him simply because they loved and trusted Him more than anything else. Adam and Eve weren’t to consider why God gave them that command or the advantage/disadvantage of obedience. The author summarizes:
“We were designed to know, serve, and love God supremely- and when we are faithful to that design, we flourish. But when we instead chose to live for ourselves, everything began to work backward.”
Sin leads to disintegration in every area of our life- work included. Sinful behavior was present in our downsizing or career loss, exacerbating our hurt and devastation. Yet, as we journey toward healing and revisioning of God’s calling, it is crucial that we examine and identify our own sinful responses so that our joy may be complete.
Tomorrow’s blog: new Short Meditation- “We’re in good hands with . . . Jesus!”
