Labor Day 9.4.22
It’s the long weekend that is traditionally known as the “end of summer.” Since 1894 Labor Day has been a holiday in the U.S. It was originally created by members of the labor movement who had organized strikes and rallies to fight for better working conditions during the Industrial Revolution. The first Labor Day parade was held in 1882 when over 10,000 workers took unpaid leave to march through the streets of New York City in an event culminating in a picnic, fireworks and dancing. Organizers called the day a “general holiday for the working men.”
For us who follow Jesus, Labor Day is a good time to remind ourselves that no matter what we do; it is to be done unto the glory of God. (1 Cor 10) So often we see “vocational” ministers as those who are working for the Lord. In reality, however, God wants to use our “labor” to give us self-worth, to provide for our families, and to bring Him glory. He gave Adam a job immediately after he was created because the Lord created Adam to be a worker. We were also created by God for a purpose. Each of us were given the appropriate gifts, skills, abilities, and desires to be able to perform various functions through our jobs.
In the New Testament, we read what Jesus taught about work in the Gospels, as well as what Paul and others wrote in their epistles. We see how Jesus redeems and transforms workers. Finally, the book of Revelation has some things to teach us about the eternal value of our work. You see work matters because God upholds His creation and brings His shalom through our work. It also matter because it’s the way God intends to bring blessings to His people.
In his book, “Ever Good Endeavor” Tim Keller reminds us, “God’s loving care comes to us largely through the labor of others. Work is a major instrument of God’s providence; it is how he sustains the human world.” Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us all that we should “be happy and do good while we live….eat and drink…and find satisfaction in all our toil – for this is the gift of God.”
So let’s celebrate this weekend but through our Biblical lens to see our work as a gift from God and to do it with excellence for His glory!