January 09 2026

Friday January 09

We Were Created to Work to Give

Ephesians 4: 28

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

We are continuing to look at Ephesians 4:22-32. In these verses, the Apostle Paul gives us very practical instructions on what it means to put off the old man and put on the new man. Yesterday we mentioned that behind every admonition Paul gave a motivation. The first admonition, of course, was to “put off lying” (v. 25). Behind that admonition is a clear motivation. Why do we put off lying? Because we are to speak the truth to one another, since we are members of the same body. To lie to another believer is like taking a hammer and smashing your own finger on purpose. Why would we intentionally cause pain to ourselves? Yet that is exactly what happens when we lie—we hurt others, and in doing so, we hurt ourselves as well.

The second admonition Paul gives is found in verse 26: “Be angry and do not sin.” Here he is telling us to deal properly with anger and not allow it to fester in our lives. Why? Because, as we talked about yesterday, when we do, we give place to the devil.

Now the third admonition—and its motivation—is found in verse 28: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.” The command is clear: stop stealing. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He says instead, work. Labor with your hands. Why? So that you may have something to give. That is the motivation—not so that you can accumulate more for yourself.

Sadly, that seems to be the primary motivation for many people in our culture today. We go to work not so that we can give—to our families, to others, to society, or to those God lays on our hearts—but simply so that we can pay our bills and have more. Now, it is good and necessary to work to provide for your needs, but it is an even greater motivation to work so that you can give.

I want you to notice something important in Scripture. When we are first introduced to God in the Bible, in Genesis chapter 1, we see that God is a working God. Over and over again, the text says, “God made.” You do not make something without working, and God worked. Then in Genesis 2:1–3, the Bible mentions the word work for the first time—at least three times. When God was making, He was working. God is a working God, and when God created us humans He created us in His image. That means He created us to work.

Notice after creating man, God placed him in the garden in Genesis 2:15. Why? Not to lie around and simply enjoy life, but to tend it and keep it. God gave Adam meaningful, enjoyable work to do—before the curse ever came and that was to take care of God’s creation. After Adam sinned, God said that work would now involve sweat, because of the curse of thorns, and thistles (Genesis 3:17-19). Even so, we are still created to work. That is part of being Godlike. But we work not so that we can have more, but so that we can fulfill God’s purpose.

One of the great problems in our culture today is that we have raised generations of people who believe they are entitled to receive without working. How sad that is. There is nothing free, my friend—someone always pays the price. When we work, we are fulfilling one of the very purposes for which God created us. God worked. God rested. And He designed us to work six days and rest one—not to rest six days and try to work one. God has no place for laziness in the Scriptures. Read Proverbs 6: “Go to the ant, you sluggard.” Those are strong words. God does not use lazy people.

In Scripture we notice that when God wanted to do a great work, He called people who were already working. He called Moses while he was tending sheep. He called David while he was tending sheep. He called Gideon while he was threshing wheat. He called four disciples who were mending nets and casting them into the sea. God found people who were working and invited them to join Him in His great work.

Why? Not so they could have more—but so they could give. The greatest gift God ever gave was His only Son, Jesus Christ. The greatest work God ever accomplished was the work of redemption on the cross. And today, the great work of the believer is to give—to give the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world. That work brings great glory to God and great satisfaction to those who labor to please Him. So Paul says it plainly: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor with his hands…that he may have something to give to him who has need.”

My friend, we live in a needy world—one that needs Jesus Christ more than anything else. Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” We should be doing the same because that night of judgment is just around the corner!

God bless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.