The Theologian's Daughter

Will there be work in heaven? Is it just a white-filtered space with angels singing, or is there more to eternity than endless leisure?

Back in college, one of my math professors said, “Dear children, in heaven we’ll be singing and rejoicing all the time. No more math exams!” Although appreciated her intention to comfort us from the stress of tests, I could not help but wonder: have we reduced heaven to a picture of a God who needs our eternal applause? Have we as Christians, boiled the image of God to a narcissist?

Work and Worship

Many of us think work and worship are opposites. Work is what we “have to do”; worship is what we “get to do.” But Scripture shows otherwise. The Hebrew word avodah means both work and worship. In Genesis 2:15, Adam was placed in the garden not to lounge, but to tend and keep it. Work was part of God’s original design, meant to be an expression of worship.

Our labor — solving equations, planting crops, coding software, raising children — can reflect God’s image and become liturgy. Worship isn’t escaping work; it’s redeeming it. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

So, Will There Be Math in Heaven?

Math, to me, has never been just numbers. I have always loved solving problems and have marvelled at how concepts like the calculus can provide insights on the mysteries of the universe, from quantum physics and rocket launches to practical applications in life sciences, like cell harvesting. When I see galaxies spiral in Fibonacci sequences or fractals repeat infinitely, I cannot help but marvel: My Lord and my God! With how much intention did you create the entirety of this universe? It gives me goosebumps, makes me teary-eyed and fills my heart with absolute joy! That spark of wonder is worship in itself.

(The Fibonacci sequence as a tool to observe patterns in nature)

And so it is my conviction that in heaven too, we will have math. But not the kind we hate in schools. Not the math that is about tests or proving cleverness. I know in my heart that this will be about marveling at God’s cosmos, tracing patterns, symmetry, and mysteries. Heaven is not the absence of work, but the fulfilment of it – where my eyes would not stop sparkling at the wonders of the Universe.

Perhaps the real question isn’t, “Will there be math in heaven?” but, “Will there be work that re-energises my spirit and help me serve and worship God better?” And to that, I think the answer is a BIG yes!