Summary: Thank you for returning to the Biblical Manhood Podcast! What an amazing week! God is so good. As for the Biblical Manhood Podcast, this episode, like the others, didn’t really come together until the very end of the writing portion. It is so crazy how the “not sure where this is going” turned “Glory to God ties it all together at the last minute” has happened for almost every episode. Hah! That’s really all there is to say! In Genesis 2:15 (ESV), it says: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Mind you, man’s working was before anyone ever even ate an apple. Eve was barely a twinkle in God’s eye while Adam was working in the garden! God even created Eve because Adam needed help. All this is to say that man’s work predates sin. So, sinless work under God at the hands of man existed before man’s image fell. Adam’s work, like everything before sin, glorified God and probably satisfied Adam deeply. In light of this, I believe that there was a sinless way for a man to do work. But what does that look like today, in a fallen world? A quote from Kay Stepkin says that “Your work is your identity.” Men today often do not glorify God with their work. Many seem to either idolize their work or neglect its significance all together. I know I am only starting to figure out what the work of my life is supposed to be. I used to see work as a menial means to a selfish end. After the month I’ve had recently, I’m starting to think much differently about the topic. I propose that modern men’s idolization of and/or indifference toward work do not bear fruit in the kingdom, but have immense impact on the “Man Problem” (See Episode 1) facing our society and culture. The potential to have joy in work seems like foolishness to men, or many have a lame idea of what “joy in work” looks like. However, we will see today that the truly Biblical man has perpetually satisfying and immensely glorifying joy in his work. Today we will continue our discussion of the GateKeepers as we saw them in Neh. 4:17. More specifically, we will look at the hand that works. Our culture places heavy emphasis on a man’s work. We’ve already explored a work ethic imbalance between men and women in their twenties. Men in my demographic make less than women who share the age group and demonstrate less drive to achieve. If we are so apathetic and indifferent about our identity in society that our work reflects it, then there should be some consequences. The Bible has many things to say about being idle, apathetic, lazy. None of the scripture with which I am familiar speaks approvingly of these qualities, especially for Biblical men. We will talk about some of my work-related experiences and paradigm shift since starting the Biblical Manhood Podcast. We will look at some scripture that pertains directly, but discreetly, about a Biblical man’s work. The scripture we will read later hit me at the last minute when writing this episode. It wonderfully sums up all the points and experiences that led me to making this little expansion of the GateKeepers installment. I hope you will find that you relate well to some of these experiences and are encouraged in your walk as a Biblical man. As always, please share your comments with me. Let me know if something I’ve said really hits home with what you’re going through and don’t be afraid to share your experience. By delving the concept of work for the Biblical man, we will come to see that, as Biblical men, we are inseparable from our “work”. As Christians, our identity is found in Christ. Kay Stepkins quote is true and telling for Biblical men too. But if we do our “work” Biblically, we will glorify God and be satisfied in the ultimate source of joy. Here’s an equation for all our Biblical theo[...]
