Ephesians 4:28 teaches us to work hard.. we also need to rest.
Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.
Ephesians 4:28 teaches us to work hard. We were created for work, after all. And working hard not only brings productive results but also fulfills our created need to use our bodies and minds for good. To be sure, we also need to rest. But working hard at the right time and the right way is one way we present bodies to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
Ephesians 4:28 affirms the value of working hard. This verse says that thieves – and, by implication, all of us – should labor. The Greek verb translated as “labor” referred not to any kind of work, but especially to work that took real effort. If you were to look up this verb, kopiao, in a Greek-English dictionary, you’d find translations such as, “become weary, become tired, exert oneself, work hard, toil, struggle.” Paul often uses kopiao in reference to his demanding work as an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:16). Work is often hard—whether you’re mowing the lawn, making dinner for your family, teaching a class, closing a deal, or planting a church. Work can be downright exhausting. It can demand mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical investment and leave us tired in body, mind, and soul.
Ephesians 4:28 doesn’t explain why we should work hard. But its imperative grows out of the broader biblical understanding of work. You and I, as human beings, were created to work, to use our full capacities in order to ensure that God’s creation functions as it is supposed to, leading to fruitful living for all creatures (Genesis 1:27-28). Of course, when sin entered in, work became more difficult and painful. Yet this does not mean that all hard work is wrong or to be avoided. In fact, some of the most rewarding experiences of life come as we invest our full energies in a worthwhile project.
Moreover, the context of Ephesians 4:28 reminds us that working hard is part and parcel of putting on the new self in Christ (Ephesians 4:24). God, who has created us anew in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10), expects us to do these with energy. Through our hard work not only do we find fulfillment but we also do that which God has ordained for us, offering our whole lives to him in worship (Romans 12:1-2).
Now, you may be wondering if hard work is always good. Is it possible to work too hard?
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