Labor was God’s idea. It’s part of His “very good.”
The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden.
Genesis 2:15 Easy-to-Read Version
The material creation was made by God to be developed,
cultivated, and cared for in an endless number of ways through human labor.
But even the simplest of these ways is important. Without them all, human life cannot flourish.
Tim Keller
God defines the boundaries of labor, even when time is of the essence – planting and harvest. That tells us that resting must be important.
Six days you may labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the seasons of plowing and harvesting you must rest. Exodus 34:21 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
God ennobles labor. We ennoble it, too, when we do our work for Him.
Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 New Life Version
Always do your work well for the Lord. You know that whatever you do for Him will not be wasted.
1 Corinthians 15:58b New Life Version
Whatever you do, do it as service to Him, and He will guarantee your success. Proverbs 16:3 The Voice
What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God.
We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God,
not on account of the position and work,
but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.
Martin Luther
And it is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God.
Brother Lawrence
