Both in the secular and the spiritual, each of us has an option of two places of employment. The first location, which we see described in Genesis, is Eden. Contrary to what some believers who simply want to spend 24/7 ’praying’ think, God actually created work. After He created the garden, He put the man in it to ‘tend and keep’ it.
Please note that the only labor God planned for the man was to tend and keep what He gave him. Tedium and hard labor were not part of God’s original plan for us. We do not have to till the land because the plants are already there – we only need to keep them. What’s more, there was a wonderful mix of fruit and flower plants.
Adam had no need to fetch water to keep the garden irrigated. According to expert garners, God already made the perfect irrigation system. This is how the bible describes it: “Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four river heads.” That means every portion of the garden received its own water supply.
God even added a gold mine to this garden from which you could also get other precious stones. Of course, getting their hands on the gold or onyx and bdellium involved work. Nonetheless, it was all there for the taking, unlike the back-breaking labor of today. Unfortunately for you and for me, man lost that wonderful estate and had to move out.
And outside, they had to till the land. Ouch! From that moment until now, we have had to choose between two places of employment. Now, you may be wondering how this knowledge will lighten your burden. Stay with me for a while longer.
Adam Chose The Worse Of The Two Places Of Employment
Naturally, as long as we are on this earth, there is no way back to the bliss of the garden of Eden. But in Jesus, God made a provision for us to try and regain Paradise. Sadly, a lot of believers prefer to work outside of God’s provision where they have to till the ground. Just as Adam chose the worse of the two places of employment, we also choose the more difficult place.
It is important to note that Adam did not deliberately opt for the more tedious placement. Who would have a choice and pick the more difficult choice? What Adam did not know is that, by disobeying God, he automatically chose the more difficult option. If your father makes his home comfortable but you turn your back on him, you have automatically chosen the less comfortable outside.
And if you have spent 20 or more years on earth, you know the difficulties of working outside the garden. Such work causes you to toil all night and sometimes, catch nothing. You discover that your employer is not at all like God. He is demanding and cruel like the Egyptian taskmasters were to the children of Israel. It is no different from the story of the prodigal son, with which you are evidently familiar.
Like Adam, you wish you could return to the ease of the garden. But it was too late for Adam to choose the better of his two places of employment. God knew he would love to return. But because we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound, God blocked Adam and Eve from re-entry. God placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, each with a flaming sword that turned every way.
Jesus Came To Offer Us Re-Entry
Mercifully, Jesus came and gave us a vineyard similar to the garden. Like God in the Garden, Jesus already planted the trees and built the water tower in His vineyard. He invites us into this better of two places of employment. Do we accept? You would think! No, we reject the invitation and continue with our back-breaking existence outside the vineyard of God.
At the start, we said this rejection of the better place of work occurs in the secular and the spiritual. You begin to see the spiritual aspect where we reject Jesus and His vineyard work. However, you do not see what this has to do with your secular job. We shall come to that but first, let us complete the spiritual aspect.
The vineyard of Jesus is the church. Just like what God described in the fifth chapter of Isaiah, the vineyard is planted by God. He chose the best vine, dug the ground, and set up the irrigation system. This is the same way He sets up His church and invites us to ‘tend and keep’ it. There are two points to note here.
No Pastor can build a church without God’s support because the church is God’s planting. If he tries to do it without God first planting it, that pastor will be constantly frustrated. Secondly, all believers are expected to be part of this vineyard that is the visible church. If you say your Christianity is personal and remain outside the vineyard of God, your life will likely be hard. It is like tilling the land instead of simply keeping the garden.
In The Secular Too, There Are Two Place Of Employment
By the same token, unless you accept Christ’s invitation to find rest for your soul, you are outside the vineyard. You will likely spend your secular life in hard labor. If that is your situation, it means you have chosen the worse of the two places of employment. At any given time, you feel as If you are doing everything humanly possible; you work really hard. And yet, there are no positive results.
Stop! Or as the bible says, stop leaning on your own understanding. It only leads to exhaustion frustration and such like. In the secular, if you lean on your own understanding, you are outside the vineyard. Of course, if you are not a believer, you have no part, spiritual or secular, in the vineyard.
You remain outside where there are thorns and briers. Don’t be surprised that such people end up committing suicide. Ensure you are not among them. Join up with Christ in His vineyard and start serving in your church or some such place. That is how you choose the better of the two places of employment.
Maranatha!
