The Joy of Purposeful Work

by Rolaant McKenzie

In the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, I, Mudd (Season 2, Episode 8, 11/3/1967), mischievous rogue Harry Mudd, escaping from his latest criminal caper in a stolen but damaged spaceship, crash-landed on an uncharted planet at the edge of Federation space inhabited by more than 200,000 androids created by a long-extinct humanoid race. The androids believed in the necessity of having purpose, and after lacking it for a very long time, they were pleased to serve and study Harry.

But over time Harry ran out of things for the androids to do, and they insisted that they needed more humans to serve and study. So Harry suggested that they bring a starship captain and his crew. He described them as being among the brightest, bravest, most loyal, and most imaginative human beings available.

Norman, the head android, left the planet and managed to get on the USS Enterprise posing as a lieutenant. He successfully took over the ship and directed it to his planet. There he arranged for Captain Kirk and the crew to be sent to the surface, and androids took their place on the ship. Norman then revealed the plan of the androids to him, explaining why they wanted a starship to leave the planet and populate the galaxy:

"Harry Mudd is flawed, even for a human being. We recognized this from the beginning but used his knowledge to obtain more specimens. Your species is self-destructive. You need our help. We cannot allow any race as greedy and corruptible as yours to have free run of the galaxy. We will not harm you, but we will take the starship, and you will remain on this planet."

In response to Spock's question, "Just how do you intend to stop them?" Norman said:

"We shall serve them. Their kind will be eager to accept our service. Soon they will become completely dependent upon us. Their aggressive and acquisitive instincts will be under our control. We shall serve them, and you will be happy and controlled."

Perceiving that Norman, as the head android, coordinated the thinking and activities of the others, Kirk and Spock made contradictory and other illogical statements to confuse and cause him to short-circuit. This made the other androids shut down, thwarting their plan. Before the Enterprise crew left the planet, they reprogrammed Norman and, by extension, the other androids to return to their original task of working to adapt the planet for productive use. This included leaving Harry Mudd to work with the androids, instead of exploiting them, as a form of parole.

While this was one of the more humorous episodes of Star Trek, it raised the issue of how the increasing use of and dependence on robots by human beings in society could lead to a lack of work and purpose and falling under the increasing control and supposed benign purposes of the programmers of this technology.

During the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting that took place January 19-23, 2026, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock and WEF Co-Chair Larry Fink interviewed Elon Musk on the future of robotics in society and how it can broaden the global economy. Musk expressed his very optimistic view of the future by saying that an essentially free and ubiquitous artificial intelligence (AI) with ubiquitous robotics would lead to an unprecedented expansion of the global economy. He said:

"My prediction is, in the benign scenario of the future, that robots will actually make so many robots in AI that they will actually saturate all human needs. Meaning you won't be able to even think of something to ask the robot for at a certain point. There will be such an abundance of goods and services because my prediction is there'll be more robots than people."

Fink then asked, "But how do you then have human purpose in that scenario?" Musk responded by saying:

"Nothing's perfect. You can't have both. You can't have work that has to be done and amazing abundance for all because if it's work that has to be done and only some people can do it, then you can't have abundance for all."

Musk's perspective was that the work people do and the purpose that comes from it should give way to having abundance for all through robots that would do all of our work for us, including taking care of our children, elderly parents, and our pets. If this perspective became reality, it would lead to greater control over humanity by global elites like Musk, who would be among those programming them.

Work can be defined as engaging in physical or mental activity to accomplish a particular goal or purpose. God created the heavens and the earth with purpose and was pleased by His work and blessed it (Genesis 1:31). God created human beings after His image, and therefore we are designed to work and derive purpose and joy from it (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15). When Adam disobeyed God and brought sin and death on humanity, work became more difficult and a necessity for living (Genesis 3:17-19). Though imperfect at this time, it nonetheless continues to be fundamentally a part of what it means to be human.

The Creator and Sustainer of all things, the Lord Jesus, does not need anything from His creation (Acts 17:24-25; Colossians 1:15-17), but just as He takes delight in the works of His hand, He also delights in giving us work in which we find enjoyment and purpose. God could have spoken into existence the tabernacle for the Israelites in the wilderness. Instead, He filled Bezalel and Oholiab with wisdom to aid in its construction by giving them skill in all kinds of crafting and the ability to teach other craftsmen (Exodus 31:1-6). The people were moved to contribute gold, silver, bronze, precious gems, wood, various fabrics, and other materials (Exodus 35:21-35). When the work was done according to the Lord's specifications, the people were blessed and enjoyed a closer fellowship with God (Exodus 39:32-43).

In His parables about talents and money, Jesus tells the story of a man who, after receiving a kingdom for himself, returns and praises those of his servants who worked and gained an increase in the talents/money he entrusted to them while he was away (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27). Taking satisfaction in their work, he said to them:

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21)

As the man's faithful servants entered his kingdom, their work did not cease. They were given greater work to do that would grant them an increased degree of purpose and joy. Likewise, in the kingdom of heaven, the redeemed will not be bored playing harps on a cloud for eternity but will be gifted with work that will perfectly fulfill God's design for human beings to enjoy purpose and His delight in their joy.

When Jesus was asked, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" He answered, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (John 6:28-29) It is the loving and gracious work of the Father that He gave Jesus as the only way to forgiveness, reconciliation and peace with God, and entrance into the place He has prepared for all who trust in Him (John 3:16-18, 14:1-6). Believe in Him today, for He is the One who brings true purpose and joy in this life and in eternity.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)