Work versus Toil
What forms of work are a gift and what forms are a product of a fallen world?
I’m working on some talks on calling and vocation for this spring so I’ve been thinking a lot about the intersection of our work and faith. To think about work properly, as a Christian, one must begin with the creation, fall, redemption, and consumption storyline of Scripture. Work is a good gift from a working God. We create and innovate in the image of a creating and innovating God. In Eden, God gave humans the raw materials to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28). This is often referred to by theologians as “the creation mandate.” William Edgar has a nice short definition here (as part of a helpful essay explainer).
The creation mandate is the on-going charge to humanity, in the power and blessing of God, to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth and to gently subdue and cultivate the earth.
I’ve written, in other places, why our work matters to God—some other good reading: Work Matters by Tom Nelson and Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller. But lately, I’ve been pondering the difference between work and toil. Phillip Ryken differentiates here:
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