God's Command to Work with Joy and Promptness
The biblical concept of work is often presented as a divine command to be undertaken with diligence, joy, and promptness, reflecting God's own active nature. The Spirit of God is described as the quickening force behind creation, giving life [1]. Similarly, God is depicted as actively working, even now, a concept echoed by Christ who stated, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" [10].
This divine example underpins the expectation for humanity to engage in work. The Apostle Paul, for instance, explicitly commands and exhorts believers "in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread" [4]. Another translation renders this as "begin working quietly to earn their own living" [2]. This instruction emphasizes not only the act of working but also doing so with a peaceful demeanor, avoiding idleness.
The call to work is not merely a duty but is often associated with joy and purpose. The prophet Zephaniah encourages God's people to "Sing... shout aloud...! Be glad and rejoice," emphasizing that they will experience unsurpassed joy [9]. This joy in work is rooted in God's presence and enablement. When people show a disposition to obey, God assures them, "I am with you," transforming a reproving tone to one of tenderness [6]. The author of Hebrews prays that God would "Make you full of every good work and ready to do all his desires, working in us whatever is pleasing in his eyes through Jesus Christ" [3]. This suggests that God not only commands work but also empowers believers to perform it in a way that is pleasing to Him.
The promptness and earnestness in work are also highlighted. John Chrysostom, commenting on Philippians, interprets "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" not as a call to despair, but to "much earnestness, with much diligence" [7]. He clarifies that this earnestness is not burdensome because "It is God that worketh in you" [7]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Philippians further explains that God's working in believers provides the will and power to carry out their salvation, encouraging them to "make full proof of, and carry out to the end, the 'salvation' which He has first 'worked,' and is still 'working in' us, enabling us to 'work it out'" [8]. This perspective suggests that human effort in work is a response to and collaboration with God's prior and ongoing work.
Christ himself exemplified this commitment to work, stating, "I must work the works of him that sent me" [11]. This indicates that His earthly ministry was a precise work, with every detail arranged by God, and that His actions were "the works of God" [11]. This divine commission underscores the importance of recognizing one's work as part of a larger, divinely ordained purpose.
The concept of steadfastness is also linked to work. Believers are commanded to be steadfast [5], particularly "In the work of the Lord" [5]. This steadfastness is secured by God's power, presence, and trust in Him, as well as Christ's intercession [5]. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Job, encourages a "cheerful submission to his providence" by contemplating God's illustrious and conspicuous work [12]. one tradition notes that God does nothing mean, and His works, both in nature and providence, evoke admiration for His wisdom, power, and goodness [12]. This perspective encourages believers to approach their own work with a similar sense of purpose and joy, knowing that God is at work in and through them.
Sources
- Job “Job 33:4 (YLT) — The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me.”
- II Thessalonians “II Thessalonians 3:12 (BSB) — We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.”
- Hebrews “Hebrews 13:21 (BBE) — Make you full of every good work and ready to do all his desires, working in us whatever is pleasing in his eyes through Jesus Christ; and may the glory be given to him for ever and ever. So be it.”
- 2 Thessalonians “2 Thessalonians 3:12 (NASB) — Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Steadfastness — Exhibited by God in all his purposes and ways -- Nu 23:19; Da 6:26; Jas 1:17. Commanded -- Php 4:1; 2Th 2:15; Jas 1:6-8. Godliness necessary to -- Job 11:13-15. Secured by The power of God. -- Ps 55:22; 62:2; 1Pe 1:5; Jude 1:24. The presence of God. -- Ps 16:8. Trust in God. -- Ps 26:1. The intercession of Christ. -- Lu 22:31,32. A characteristic of saints -- Job 17:9; Joh 8:31. Should be manifested In cleaving to God. -- De 10:20; Ac 11:23. In the work of the Lord. -- 1Co 15:58. In continuing in the Apostles' doctrine. -- Ac 2:42. In holding fast our”
- Haggai (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Haggai 1:13: the Lord's messenger--so the priests (Mal 2:7) are called (compare Gal 4:14; Pe2 1:21). in the Lord's message--by the Lord's authority and commission: on the Lord's embassage. I am with you-- (Mat 28:20). On the people showing the mere disposition to obey, even before they actually set to work, God passes at once from the reproving tone to that of tenderness. He hastens as it were to forget their former unfaithfulness, and to assure them, when obedient, that He both is and will be with them: Hebrew, "I with you!" God's presence is the best of bless”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: do anything “with trembling,” then only do we rejoice. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”: he says not “work,” but “work out,” i.e. with much earnestness, with much diligence; but as he had said, “with fear and trembling,” see how he relieves their anxiety: for what does he say? “It is God that worketh in you.” Fear not because I said, “with fear and trembling.” I said it not with this view, that thou shouldest give up in despair, that thou shouldest suppose virtue to be somewhat difficult to be attained, but t”
- Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 2:13: For--encouragement to work: "For it is God who worketh in you," always present with you, though I be absent. It is not said, "Work out your own salvation, though it is God," &c., but, "because it is God who," &c. The will, and the power to work, being first instalments of His grace, encourage us to make full proof of, and carry out to the end, the "salvation" which He has first "worked," and is still "working in" us, enabling us to "work it out." "Our will does nothing thereunto without grace; but grace is inactive without our will" [ST. BERNARD].”
- Zephaniah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zephaniah 3:14: 3:14 Sing . . . shout aloud . . . ! Be glad and rejoice: The cumulative effect of these commands emphasizes that God’s people will one day experience unsurpassed joy.”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: works, as God from His” ( Heb. iv. 10 ): not meaning here idleness, but the ceasing from labor. For God worketh even now, 127 as Christ saith, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” ( c. v. 17 .) Wherefore I exhort you that, laying aside all carelessness, you be zealous for virtue. For the pleasure of wickedness is short, but the pain lasting; of virtue, on the contrary, the joy grows not old, the labor is but for a season. Virtue even before the crowns are distributed animates 976 976 or, “releases.” her workman, and feeds him with hopes; vice e”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 9:4: I must work the works of him that sent me, &c.--a most interesting statement from the mouth of Christ; intimating, (1) that He had a precise work to do upon earth, with every particular of it arranged and laid out to Him; (2) that all He did upon earth was just "the works of God"--particularly "going about doing good," though not exclusively by miracles; (3) that each work had its precise time and place in His programme of instructions, so to speak; hence, (4) that as His period for work had definite termination, so by letting any one service pass by its ”
- Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 36:24: Elihu is here endeavouring to possess Job with great and high thoughts of God, and so to persuade him into a cheerful submission to his providence. I. He represents the work of God, in general, as illustrious and conspicuous, Job 36:24. His whole work is so. God does nothing mean. This is a good reason why we should acquiesce in all the operations of his providence concerning us in particular. His visible works, those of nature, and which concern the world in general, are such as we admire and commend, and in which we observe the Creator's wisdom, power, and goodnes”