Many Christians think work is something to survive until retirement or heaven—a necessary evil to pay the bills.
But that’s not the story Scripture tells.
In fact, it’s the exact opposite.
Before sin entered the world, before Eve was even created, God gave Adam a job. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Work existed in paradise! .
That means work wasn’t a curse—it was part of God’s perfect plan for humanity. Adam didn’t wake up every morning in frustration, wondering how to escape the 9-to-5 grind. His labor was worship. His effort was creativity expressed in partnership with the Creator Himself.
The curse that came after sin wasn’t work itself—it was toil. God told Adam that the ground would now produce “thorns and thistles.” In other words, work would still exist, but it would become hard. The soil would resist him. Sweat would now accompany the task.
But notice what didn’t change: the calling to work.
Work has always been a divine assignment woven into the DNA of humanity. God Himself worked—six days creating the heavens, the earth, and everything in it. Then He rested on the 7th day (He didn’t even take a full weekend!). When we work, we reflect His image as co-creators, builders, and caretakers.
I think one of the greatest misunderstandings Christians have about wealth and purpose is thinking that “spiritual” life and “work” life are separate. But if we believe God is Lord over every part of life, then our work is one of the most spiritual activities we can do.
Your job—whether you’re managing a business, building a home, teaching students, or fixing engines—is sacred ground. It’s where your God-given skills meet the world’s needs. It’s where heaven and earth intersect through your work.
When you see work as punishment, you’ll always seek escape. But when you see work as purpose, you’ll find meaning in even the smallest tasks. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
That means your ultimate boss isn’t your employer—it’s your Creator.
Stop viewing work as something you have to do and start seeing it as something you get to do. The ability to work—to think, create, solve problems, and serve—is itself one of the greatest blessings God gives.
Even Jesus worked …
Before Jesus preached His first sermon or performed His first miracle, He spent nearly two decades working with His hands. Think about that—God in flesh chose to spend most of His earthly life doing manual labor.
Why? Because work itself honors God.
Paul followed the same model. Even as an apostle performing miracles and planting churches, he made tents to support himself. He didn’t separate the “sacred” from the “secular.” Both his preaching and his craftsmanship glorified God.
The World Proves What Scripture Said 2,000 Years Ago
Modern research echoes this biblical truth. Studies from the Social Security Administration reveal that people who retire early often die early. When individuals lose the sense of contribution and meaning that comes from work, their mental and physical health declines.
You were created to contribute. God never designed you for idleness. That’s why the Bible repeatedly says He will bless the work of your hands (Deuteronomy 28:12)—not your idleness, not your entertainment, not your golf swing. Work is the context in which blessing flows.
Nowhere in Scripture does God call someone to stop working completely. The modern idea of retirement—spending the last 20 years of life detached from purpose—doesn’t exist in the biblical narrative. In fact, God often called His people to their greatest assignments late in life.
Abraham was 75 when God told him to leave everything familiar and start a new nation.
Moses was 80 when he stood before Pharaoh.
Noah was around 600 when he built the ark.
God doesn’t use age as an excuse. Purpose doesn’t expire.
When you view work as worship, everything changes. The frustrations of the job become opportunities for faithfulness. The long hours become moments of ministry. Every spreadsheet, construction site, or classroom can become an altar where you honor God through excellence.
That’s why Jesus told parables about servants who were entrusted with resources and expected to multiply them. In the Parable of the Talents, the master praised the servants who worked diligently: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
Faithful work brought joy.
Work That Transforms You and Others
Work shapes us. It teaches discipline, humility, and perseverance. But it also blesses others. Every product you build, every service you provide, every word of encouragement to a coworker—it all participates in God’s ongoing creation.
When you bring your full self to your work—with honesty, creativity, and diligence—you’re fulfilling part of your divine purpose. That’s why one of the greatest lies of our age is the idea that fulfillment comes from escaping work. True fulfillment comes from doing work that matters in partnership with the One who designed you for it.
The Garden wasn’t meant to drain Adam; it was meant to fulfill him.
When you begin to view work as a divine gift rather than a necessary evil, everything changes—your attitude, your productivity, even your prosperity. You stop longing for escape and start living with purpose.
Because from the very beginning, God designed you to work it and take care of it. And when you embrace that design, you’ll discover that work isn’t a burden at all—it’s one of God’s greatest blessings.
To learn more about work and how it fits into the Abundant Prosperity Blueprint, watch this presentation.
For His Kingdom,
Aaron DeHoog
Founder and 49% Owner, Abundant Prosperity
www.AbundantProsperity.org