Our text comes from Genesis 2:15,

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

and Ephesians 2:10,

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Well, its another Monday. Rumor has it that many of us do not like Mondays. We do not like the return to the grind of work. The weekend is relief, Monday is back to it. Yet, it was not meant to be this way. Created in the image of God, each of us was created to be productive. This does not refer only to paid labour. We were each created to contribute to the well being of creation and the flourishing of other humans.

Our text from Ephesians is often understood to mean some sort of 'spiritual' work, different from the regular stuff of life. But what if it includes the original creational mandate of contributing to the thriving of creation? Having been made new in Christ, we are able to become the people God created us to be. Can we believe that in our daily activities we are doing the 'good works' which God prepared for us to do? What if we embrace the tasks of today as offerings to God, as "our true and proper worship"?

I invite you to join me in prayer, offering the regular activities of this week to God:

Lord Jesus, we bring before you our labours and their fruit – the work of our hands.

We confess that often, we take pride in our work, doing what we can to draw attention to ourselves and to our own abilities. Our work becomes a means of self-validation, of propping up our self-image and our sense of personal value.

Today, we ask that you re-orient the direction of our praise – lifting our eyes to our heavenly Father, who brings forth every good and perfect gift. Holy Spirit, enable us to do our work as activity that brings glory to our God. Help us to find our value in being his image bearers rather than in what we produce.

Take the works our hands, both big and small, using them for your kingdom purposes. May they honour you, bless other people, and direct the attention of co-workers to you and not to us.

Thank you that you join us by your Spirit in our work. Thank you that because of your grace, our labour is never in vain. Continue to teach us how to be workers in your Kingdom; ever mindful of the rhythms of grace that you kindly invite us into.

We pray these things in the name Jesus who is worthy of our work. Amen.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.