INTRODUCTION

The rise of “quiet quitting,” where employees stay in their jobs but mentally check out, reflects a growing dissatisfaction with work. In Singapore, over 60% of workers report burnout and work-related stress, revealing a deeper issue: Many spend most of their waking hours in jobs that feel empty and disconnected from purpose.

Yet from the beginning, God designed work to be sacred. In Genesis, even when the garden had all it needed to flourish, God placed man “to tend and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Work was never just about survival. It was about worship, stewardship, and honour.

When we recognise that God is the one who places us, equips us, defines our tasks, and resources us, our work becomes more than just a job. Only then can we avoid the trap of busyness and burnout and rediscover the purpose God intended for our labour.

DISCUSSION

1. From the sermon, what Scriptural passage(s) will you meditate on this week? (Scripture references from the sermon: Gen 1:28-29, Gen 2:9, 15-18)
   
   For each passage:
   
   
2. What do you know of the passage’s context?
   a. Within the Biblical book
   b. Within the Bible as a whole
   c. Within the time and place it was written
   
   
3. What is happening in the passage
   a. Who is doing what to whom?
   b. And (based on the same Scripture) why?
   c. What questions (if any) do you have on what is revealed to us?
   
   
4. What might God be speaking to you through the passage?
   a. What aspect of the passage are you drawn to?
   b. Why are you drawn to it?
   c. How might this aspect of the passage speak to your current situation in life?
   d. What might the passage be calling for you to shift?

AN E1R1 REFLECTION

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

From the very beginning, work was never just about tasks or toil. It was sacred. Genesis 2:15 reminds us that God placed Adam in the garden to work it and take care of it. This was not an afterthought, but part of God’s divine purpose. Adam was not simply given a place to enjoy; he was entrusted with a role to steward, nurture, and partner with God in cultivating life.

Today, as followers of Christ, we are still called to be stewards, not just of the physical world but also of the spiritual harvest. Our “gardens” are not only our offices, classrooms, or homes but also the people and places God has positioned us in to reflect His love and truth. Soul winning is part of this sacred calling. Wherever God has placed us, He calls us to tend to more than just tasks; He calls us to tend to hearts.

Work, then, is not separate from God’s kingdom mission; it is a field for it. Whether we are in the marketplace, the arts, education, healthcare, or national service, our daily interactions carry eternal significance. Our integrity, compassion, and courage to speak about Christ can till the soil of someone’s heart, making it ready for the seed of the gospel.

Just as Adam was not left to do the work alone, God walked with him. We, too, are not alone in our mission. God equips and empowers us. He places within us everything we need to tend His garden and reach His people.

Let us not see work as a distraction from God’s mission, but as a key part of it. May we ask: Lord, how can I reflect You in my work today? Who around me needs the hope of Christ? How can I be faithful to both the task and the souls in this field You’ve placed me in?