"much more like what we would call 'play'"

The second part of the work essay is getting a little more discussion (on Jesus Manifesto). Some good stuff. Here's a reply I offered this morning:

I am not aware of Jesus ever adding the stipulation that God would care for our needs "if you were actively helping people/society/the environment" "pretty much all your waking time." Jesus was not demanding more work of us, but offering rest.

What we are called to do is obey God's will for us in our work. From Jesus' example it is clear that this does indeed mean giving and caring for others. But the motivation for this work does not come from some ethical demand to work "all your waking time" (which means always wondering if we are working enough to satisfy God) but from the love for others that God inspires within us. Free gifts of love. And the type and amount of work we are called to is the work we are created for, thus the work that satisfies us and gives us joy in fulfilling God's purpose for us. This is much more like what we call "play" (which can still be physically hard, but in a good way—if we have forgotten, we can take a look at our kids).

I think it's also worth pointing out that serving God (alone) as our "boss" is much better for us, since God knows what we are made for and how much we can handle and loves us. And God is not driven by a production goal or by the demand to make profits for shareholders. God calls us to do what we can do—what we can do well, and what we can do in a healthy, satisfying way, for our good as well as the good of those we serve.