We may pursue excellence by consistently meeting what is required of us, by working hard and delivering results or by being creative in our craft, and yet still experience burn out.

I have talked to people who are excellent in their work but struggles everyday. I have encountered students who are brilliant but disengaged. Both of them just goes through the motions and sooner or later these vision-less activities, these ‘no impact, work is going to affect their attitude because what they lack is not the skill but purpose in their work.

God created work before sin came because He has a purpose for it.

Genesis 1:28 NIV
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ”

1) Work comes from God as a gift.
Work is originally designed as a gift from God. It is his tool so that we can use the skills and talents he has given us.

Genesis 1:28-30 NIV
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ”
[29] Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. [30] And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food. ” And it was so.

2)We were meant to have dominion over work, not the other way around. We will burn out quickly or be consumed by it if our work or craft dominates us.

Genesis 2:15 NIV
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

3)God is sovereign, he is in control. Even when we thought we chose our jobs, God is still working through our decisions. Adam was placed by God in the garden to work, wherever you are right now, even if it is the result of your decisions, God is still sovereign over you.

Genesis 2:19 NIV
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

4) We are privileged to have the God of the universe with us in our work. That means, every menial task we do is an offering to God. Every people we interact with is and opportunity for them to see that God is at work in us. It is such a privilege! Work was meant to be done with God.

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

5) We work for God.
Above all else his standards remain, it is his money passing through your work, it is His wisdom. It is meant to be done for Him. If we miss this, then we put ourselves in the position of burning out.

With all these in mind, we can now come up that work is a blessing from God, he is Sovereign and in control of you. If we remain in him, then we can make our work a tool to be used to fulfill his purpose, and that is:to glorify his name.