Austin Rogers > Quotes

“Ideally, no able-bodied person would be dependent on others. That is why work is so important. The connection between work and a sense of meaning in life is innate in us because we were created to work, even in the idyllic Garden of Eden: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15).”
― Austin Rogers, The Third Temptation: Rethinking the Role of the Church in Politics

“Work, which we may interpret broadly here as referring to any activities of value to others (employers, customers, family members, the needy, etc.), gives us purpose and meaning in life. Without work, which can include parenting or serving the church but mainly refers to earning a living, people naturally gravitate toward troublesome behaviors like being a busybody (meddling in others’ affairs). We naturally yearn for the sense of meaning that only labor or service can bring, and if we don’t labor or serve then we tend to intrude upon others’ affairs. At least that relieves the boredom. But no, says Paul, the ideal is to “work with your own hands . . . so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thess. 4:11-12).”
― Austin Rogers, The Third Temptation: Rethinking the Role of the Church in Politics