"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 NLT
Americans place a high value on what we do for a living. When we meet someone new, we ask them their name and what they do. So much of our identity is wrapped up in our vocation.
I started working for my father when I was 14. He owned several car washes, and they needed to be cleaned regularly. The following summer, I worked in his HVAC business and continued cleaning the car washes. I didn’t enjoy the work, but I certainly enjoyed the money he paid me. In high school, I got my first real job working as an “ink monkey” in the print shop of the local newspaper. I loved working at the newspaper and eventually worked my way up to the graphics department, and I became a feature writer. I found joy in completing a job well done. Work was not a burden for me and helped keep me out of trouble. In college, I worked at a small Christian radio station and graduated with a communications degree. My work as a teenager and college student gave me vocational experience and direction, eventually leading to a ministry in Ethiopia at a media center. I love the work that I get to do.
Work was intended by God to be a blessing for humanity. Instead, Adam’s sin added trouble to our labor. Still, in Ecclesiastes, we read that joy in our work is a blessing from God.
During the height of the Industrial Revolution, in the late 1800s, the US economy shifted from agriculture to industry. This shift brought many benefits, but it also brought difficulties. It was common for laborers to work six days a week for 10 to 16 hours per day. Earning much less than adults. Children aged 5 or 6 could work in factories, mills, and mines. Working conditions could be unsafe. Access to fresh air and adequate sanitation was often limited.
Harsh working conditions increased labor union membership, and workers began organizing for better hours and pay. Rallies and strikes sometimes turned violent, but public opinion shifted toward workers. By the end of the 19th century, Labor Day had become a national holiday. Less than a decade later, the American Federation of Labor and the Federal Council of Churches announced Labor Sunday as an official addition to the church calendar.
As Christians, it is right to celebrate labor and laborers. We can be thankful for the improvements in work conditions and be inspired to continue to make improvements. We should praise God’s provision through our labor, and for many, we celebrate the joy that work can bring.
For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus paid for our sins and opened the door for fellowship with God. Faith in His completed work brings us salvation. We don’t have to work for God’s love. The work that God requires of us is to believe in the One He has sent. Then, we can rest in Him, knowing that He will complete the work that He has begun in us.
Dig Deeper
- If we can’t earn our salvation by what we do (Ephesians 2:8,9), then what is our motivation for working hard? 1 Corinthians 10:31)
- How does working hard with excellence honor God.
Labor with love. Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of the American worker. Take time to rest and reflect and let it drive you to love others in your life. (Matt. 22:37-40) The labor of love will be worth it.
Aim at production. Labor Day can be productive if we avoid the lethargy that hurts relationships and aim at cultivating healthy relationships. Relationships take labor, but they are rewarding.
Believe in God for a great season. This day can be a grand launch into the fall season for ourselves and our families. Pray for yourself. Pray for your family. Pray for God to do great things and be preeminent in your fall plans. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Offer yourself to serve. Use the extra time to offer service to others. Take a few moments to consider how you might be like Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve. (Mark 10:45)
Read yourself into some new goals. Consider reading that book you know will energize your soul. Take time to write yourself clearly to accomplish new plans that have been dormant. Never forget the energy you receive from reminding yourself of new projects or creating new ones. (2 Peter 1:12)
8 Prayers for Labor Day
