Pastor Tilson and I have, over a period of time, discussed work and the parameters surrounding work as Christians.

We know that even the first created man, Adam, had to work even before he was positionally in a state of sin.

From a Rabbi perspective...

One interesting part of the story of the Garden of Eden is that we are told, “…G-d planted a garden in Eden… and placed there the man whom He had formed,” (2:8) and later, “G-d took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to guard it,” (2:15).

Why are we told that Adam was placed twice? Every word (and indeed every letter) in the Torah is important; there is no superfluous information. The issue is in the translation of the Hebrew.

In reality, the first time we are told that Adam was “placed”, and the second time we are told that G-d “rested” him in the Garden. What’s the difference? When you place something somewhere, you are putting that object in a temporary location; a place where it doesn’t necessarily belong. However, when you rest something somewhere, you are putting it in its home. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, but he didn’t belong, so G-d removed him, and then rested him in the Garden later. Why would He do this?

In the first case, Adam had no purpose, but in the second case, he was rested there in order to work and guard the Garden. In order to be a human being, you have to have a purpose. If you don’t have a purpose, a goal in life to accomplish something meaningful, then you are a stranger in the world and don’t belong.

So did G-d make a mistake by placing Adam in the Garden the first time? No, G-d wanted Adam to see for himself that he needed a purpose. So what was Adam’s purpose, and by correlation, what is our purpose today?

To understand Adam’s purpose, we have to understand the environment he was in. What was the Garden of Eden? It was paradise. What is paradise?

Our vision of paradise is to have a complete lack of responsibility: We envision sitting in a hammock, on a beautiful beach, with a nice cool breeze, a cold drink in our hand, watching a perpetual sunset, without a care in the world.

The Torah vision of paradise is much different. While the Garden of Eden certainly looked like the paradise of our imagination, it also gave Adam a purpose, and that is the real aspect of paradise.

Without a purpose, our vision of paradise would get awfully boring, awfully quickly: think about all those depressed millionaires in the world, or about the fact that the rate of suicide in middle class teenagers in Los Angeles is significantly higher than that of teenagers in Afghanistan.

The spirit of the Protestant work ethic is captured in the Swiss-Germans' saying Arbeit macht frei. "Arbeit macht frei" is an old German and Swiss-German peasant saying meaning "work liberates" or "work shall make you free". It is part of the concept of the Protestant work ethic.

English translations of this phrase vary, and include "To each his own" and "Everyone gets what they deserve."

The Protestant have an idea that "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". They taught that man is to keep busy in order to keep from doing evil.

They also sought to better their community by teaching and exhorting that work is good. It brought about economic prosperity. In this, they found support in Proverbs 10.4 (Septuagint) which says "Poverty brings a man low: but the hands of the vigorous makes rich". Again, Proverbs 6.6 attacks those who are lazy:

"(6) Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he. (7) For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master (8) he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom. (9) how long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

They endeavored to impart a work ethic that encapsulated work as both materially and spiritually beneficial. Laziness is a sin and not proper to Christian character. Work was seen as both occupying a person's time to prevent him from sinning, a boon to the economic well-being of the family and society, and as a necessary consequence due to original sin.

Of course there are those who have been chosen for the work of the ministry by God. Unfortunately there are also those who have chosen themselves for the work of the ministry and have a desire to live off the work of others to live the 'good life.'

Be discerning when you give of the fruit of your own labors to others who are in 'the ministry.' But DO give to those who are actually working in the ministry. By doing so we share in their blessing.

I distribute my 'love offerings' as I sense the Holy Spirit's prompting in a given direction. I love to help the truly needy, and yes, I do give to the homeless when I have the leading that there is a genuine need represented in front of me.

If I did not work I would have nothing to offer of the fruit of my labors. I would actually find myself in a position to need the fruit of others labors. In my state we give out 118 million dollars a year on average to those in need.

Work is good. Man was intended to work.

True ministry to others is work. I love work!