Why Do We Work?

Doing More Than the Minimum to Get By

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about the impact of AI on the future of work.¹ Many are hoping (or fearing) that AI could make numerous jobs unnecessary. Of course, AI is not the only possible path to a life without work. For the past few years, a class of online influencers has touted “passive income” as the key to living a fulfilling life without the grind of a 9-to-5 job. (And these influencers will sell you a course that will teach you how to generate your own six-figure passive income for $1999 $999 if you sign up by midnight tonight!)

In all seriousness, there are legitimate and ethical ways to generate passive income. There are also other ways for someone to potentially fund their livelihood by working a few hours a week (by doing some highly-skilled freelance work in a niche, high-paying industry) or by not working at all (by securing a high-income job, aggressively saving money, and retiring early, or by receiving a generous inheritance from a loved one who passed away).

Perhaps you are in this position. You are able to work, but have plenty of money saved and/or passive income that you do not need to work to provide for yourself. Or you might be dreaming of being in this position. Maybe you even have a plan to get there. The question I want us to consider is this: Should Christians refrain from working if their financial needs are met?

To clarify, this is not about those who have worked all their lives and enjoy retirement in their older years. This is about those who are able-bodied but, for whatever reason, do not need the income. Is it alright for those in this situation to refrain from work and simply enjoy a life of leisure?

Many in our culture are critical of “workaholics” and may start to see work itself as being inherently bad. However, work has been part of God’s plan for man from the beginning. Even before sin entered the world, God placed Adam in the garden “to cultivate and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). When sin was introduced, work became harder (Genesis 3:17-19), but work itself was not a curse; it was (and is) something that is good.

Why Do We Work?

There are a few fundamental reasons why God expects His people to work:

• We work to provide for ourselves and our families. “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

• We work to help those in need. “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).

• We work to have something to give back to the Lord. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

However, what if someone is able to work but does not need to work for those reasons? Perhaps an early retirement, passive income, or generous inheritance means that all of one’s needs are met. Does this mean he is free to live a life of leisure and do no work at all?

No.

Notice again what Paul wrote to the brethren in Thessalonica:

“For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

In that passage, Paul rebuked those who were not willing to work, not those who are unable to work (those who are unable to work need help, not rebuke). However, the need to be willing to work is not capped at a certain level of wealth. There are other reasons to work besides the primary reasons listed above.

• We work to avoid idleness. In giving instruction about the care of certain widows, Paul warned about the danger of young women learning to be idle: “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach” (1 Timothy 5:13-14). This principle is not just about young women. Anyone who is idle has more opportunity to sin. Therefore, it is good to lead active, productive lives.

• We work to set an example for others. Paul mentioned this in the same passage where he condemned those who were not willing to work: “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9). God expects His people to be hardworking (cf. Colossians 3:23; Ecclesiastes 9:10), and Paul worked “night and day” to set the proper example for his brethren. However, this is not just for our brethren. Fathers, especially those with children still at home, need to set a proper example for their kids. Children likely have no concept of “passive income” or whatever else may allow one to work fewer hours than most other men, but they do see whether you are working or not. We do not want our children to learn to be idle through our example, even if we are in a position where we do not “need” the money.

• We work to bear fruit for the Lord. This moves us beyond merely working for a paycheck. As Christians, we must strive to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). We have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10), which requires effort on our part.

Work We Can Do When Our Basic Needs Are Met

So, if we ever reach a point where our basic needs are met and we are still able-bodied, what then? If a life of leisure with no work at all is out of the question, what kinds of work should we do?

• Maintain our blessings. God has richly blessed us, and many of these blessings require work to maintain in order to get the most benefit from them. The wise man spoke of this when he said, “Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). There is work involved in maintaining our homes, vehicles, and more. Being wealthy enough for our basic needs to be met does not mean we should allow such things to fall into disrepair. This does not mean that it would be wrong to pay a contractor, mechanic, or someone else with the necessary skills to work on these things from time to time, but even then, there is effort involved in coordinating and facilitating the work.

• Provide help to others. When certain widows were being neglected in the church in Jerusalem, seven men were appointed “in order to serve tables” and provide assistance to these women (Acts 6:1-6). When we think of helping those who are in need, we often think of providing them with money; yet this is not the only way to help. Those who do not need to work to provide for their basic needs will often have more time than others to pick up groceries, provide someone with a ride, help with yard work, babysit someone’s kids, and more.

• Continue working to earn an income so you are better equipped to help those in need. When it comes to work, it is prudent to work more than necessary to meet our basic needs due to the unpredictable nature of life. This was the wise man’s point when he wrote, “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). But after meeting our bare necessities, how much more should we work? That is a judgment call. Some Christians, by working with skill, diligence, efficiency, and wisdom, can sometimes find themselves to be much better off than the average person. Knowing that this is not uncommon, Paul gave Timothy instructions for Christians who found themselves in this position: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18). The more resources one has, the greater his ability to help those in need, contribute to the work of the church, support gospel preachers, and more.

• Become more involved in the work of the church. When Paul advised the brethren in Corinth about how to handle marriage “in view of the present distress” (1 Corinthians 7:26), he described one of the benefits of remaining unmarried: “But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). The apostle’s point was not that marriage is a detriment to one’s spiritual life. Instead, he was talking about taking care of one’s responsibilities. A single man has much more freedom (and thus, more responsibility) to be involved in the Lord’s work. By the same token, one who does not need to work to secure his livelihood has much more freedom (and, again, more responsibility) to be involved in the Lord’s work. This could take the form of teaching Bible classes, maintaining the church building, traveling on evangelistic trips, mentoring younger Christians, and so on.

Conclusion

It is tempting for those of us who must continue working (which is the vast majority of people) to become jealous of those who no longer need to work to meet their material needs (especially if they are the same age or younger than us). However, we should not have this attitude. It is a great blessing for someone to be in that position. Rather than resenting them for it, we must learn to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15), while also learning “to be content in whatever circumstances” we are in (Philippians 4:11).

If you are one whose livelihood is not dependent upon a paycheck, do not become arrogant toward others. God has abundantly blessed you (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:19), which is a wonderful thing. However, this does not make you “better” than others. Instead, it means you have additional responsibilities to be a good steward of your blessings and to take advantage of the opportunities before you that others do not have. Do not become idle, but remain active in the Lord’s service and do what is pleasing to Him.

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