28 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.REFLECTIONSWritten by Vincent ChanWere we made to be vegetarians before the fall? That’s the first question that popped into my head as I read these verses. I don’t know the answer to that! But these few verses did remind me of two things we see about humanity and God in creation.First, we see the goodness of God. He creates a world in which he provides food for humanity and for all creatures. We don’t enter a barren world, but a world that sustains and nourishes us – because God is the one who ‘gives’ it to us (v 29).And secondly, God gives humanity a purpose. We are called to be fruitful, to fill the earth and to subdue it. In other words, we are created to work under God.Again, the topic of work brings many questions. Are we supposed to enjoy our work? If we don’t, should that be a reason to change jobs? What about those who have retired or can’t find a job – are they working? What about full-time parents or unpaid carers – does that count as work?These few short verses don’t answer all these questions, but I’ve found two principles helpful when thinking about work as followers of Jesus.First, in every kind of work we do – whether we are mothers, fathers, accountants, librarians, students, looking for work – we do it “as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). We should always seek to carry out our responsibilities as those who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. This means being diligent, showing patience when things are hard, and saying ‘no’ to things that are wrong even if they will give us an advantage.But there is a second kind of work which all of us can be involved in: ‘the work of the Lord’. We can seek to play our part in the ministry of the gospel, seeking fruit for the Kingdom as people submit to the Lordship of Jesus. This is the work that is ‘not in vain’ (1 Cor. 15:58).You’ll have a chance to take part in one or both of these activities today. Regardless of which activity, why not give thanks for God’s good provision, and for the purpose he gives our lives?QUESTIONWhat work have you (or each person in your family) been given by God. How can we make sure we love God as we do our work?ABOUT THE AUTHORVincent is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.