Why do we work?
"Work was not a necessary evil that came into the picture later, or something human beings were created to do but that was beneath the great God himself. No, God worked for the sheer joy of it. Work could not have a more exalted inauguration."¹ We work because God created us to, it is inherently good, and it is a continuation of His work.

Then how should we work?
We should work in at least these four ways: to Provide (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11; 1 Timothy 5:8), to Give (Ephesians 4:18; 2 Corinthians 9:6), to Love the World (1 Corinthians 7:17), and to Serve Jesus (Colossians 3:23-24).

But how can we work well?
We can work well as we both look back and look forward. Here's what I mean: look back to the cross and look forward to Jesus' future kingdom. When we look back to the finished work of Jesus in our place, we are freed from fear because He already worked perfectly to restore our worth. When we look forward to the future Kingdom He is going to establish, we can be filled with hope because He is going to make things the way they should be. If you know this is your past (you are wired for work), this is your present (Jesus has redeemed your worth through His work), and this is your future (Jesus is going to bring to perfection every good thing you are working toward), you will be able to work well here and now for His glory and the joy of all people.