On a recent Friday I found myself unable to finish all my weekly tasks by the end of the workday. That evening, after my wife and kids were in bed, I stayed up to revise papers, answer questions, and schedule meetings for the coming week.
I finished at around 2 AM by sending half a dozen emails to colleagues. I went to bed feeling that sense of satisfaction that comes from a job well done.
To my surprise, every single one of my colleagues answered their email by 6 AM that same Saturday morning. And several of their responses were quite involved.
As I thought about that Interaction, I couldn’t help but wonder: are we working too hard?
The Scripture and Hard Work
In Christianity, we attach a high value to hard work. Many Scriptures praise this type of effort:
“In all toil there is profit (Proverbs 14:23a)”
or
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as working for the LORD (Colossians 3:23).”
There also are stark warnings for those who do not work hard enough.
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)”
The Reformation and Hard Work
Indeed, one of the central tenets of the reformation was the idea that all work had moral content – a “work ethic” – and that our character could be measured by our dedication to that work.
Here’s how my logic went:
And if hard work is inherently good, how could someone ever work too hard? Isn’t that like loving God too much, or having a heart that is too pure? If something is intrinsically good, it seems there shouldn’t be a possibility of pursuing it too far, as all good things are from God and lead us back to Him.
But this question plagues me, late into the night as I am working the next deadline:
But if we are always supposed to give our all, what are we to make of the Bible’s many calls to rest?
Hard Work and God's Call to Rest
It seems the Scripture contains at least as many admonitions to those who do not rest as praises to those who work tirelessly.
The Bible begins in Genesis with God’s example of rest and at the heart of the Old Testament, we see his repeated commands to rest. And in the New Testament, Jesus promises rest when he says in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
So, when is hard work praiseworthy and when is it shameful?
Hard Work and My Motivation
What I have learned is that the key deciding factor is my motivation. When I work hard, why am I working so hard? If it is truly out of a desire to glorify God and enjoy Him, then all work is praiseworthy. And because God is loving and kind, within that work I can find rest.
But too often my motivations are tainted.
I work to please others;
I work to justify my self-worth;
I work to get ahead.
Even when I work for God’s glory, part of me wants to work extra hard for my own glory—to make sure that my gift to God is better than anyone else’s.
This simple Prayer Helps Me
And so I find that it is crucial to begin each day with a centering prayer in which I commit myself and my day to Him. I pray a prayer similar to this:
“God in all that I do today, in work and in rest, help me to do it for your glory alone. Because I cannot do it without you.”
If you struggle with your work ethic – either working too much or too little – I encourage you to join me in this practice.
You can start right now.
Troy Van Voorhis
MIT