Left to Write: Labor Day
09-11-2006
by Brenten Gilbert

for the struggle and the trouble . . . I thank God...
Surreal - "Car and a Job"

Recently, we celebrated "Labor Day" which is always an interesting holiday in my mind because, on a surface level, it seems odd to "celebrate" labor, by taking the day off, in effect, not laboring. However, when I began to investigate the origins of the day, I realized that it really had to do with labor unions, fair wages and working conditions, Canadians and parades. (The research was so tiring, that I completely sympathized with the need for a day off). Despite this new understanding, I still think it's an odd holiday, as if "the man" was sticking it to the working class via some odd case of reverse psychology.

Regardless of my thoughts on the holiday, labor is obviously a key part of our lives here on earth. Love it or hate it, the fact is that we all must work to earn our keep. And in celebration of Labor Day, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at why we labor, what we labor for and what the Bible has to say about the whole thing. Perhaps it's a bit self-indulgent, because it interests me, but hopefully it works out well for all of us.

The first verse that comes to mind when I think about "labor" is from Psalms. Psalms 127:1a to be exact: "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it (NKJV)." It's a pretty popular verse, actually and a very appropriate concept to keep in mind. I think it ties in well with the content covered in Ecclesiastes where the wise Solomon concludes that everything is meaningless and all our earthly pursuits in life are in vain. (Though, I'm not as wise as Solomon, I could conclude that perhaps he strove for things that God wasn't exactly backing).

So, while that's my first scriptural association with labor, the idea of working for a living actually dates back to the very beginning of human existence. God labored during the Creation process and, after creating man, He gave Adam some duties. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." (Gen 2:15) It's pretty safe to assume that this was somewhat of a cushy, managerial-type position where Adam just had to walk around all day with Eve making sure everything was taking care of itself - at least as far as I can tell. This was, after all, a perfect garden, in a perfect world, in the presence of a perfect God and cared for by a perfect man and woman.

That didn't last long, did it? (Actually, yes, I do realize that the length of time that Adam and Eve spent in the garden is uncertain, but it's only like two and a half chapters. . . it reads quickly). It didn't take much to upset the perfect balance of labor and rest. Just a serpent, a piece of fruit, pride and perhaps a bad case of curiosity and suddenly everything changed.

After the fall, man was subjected to difficult labor, again implying that the garden gig was pretty sweet. Labor took on a whole new meaning for women too, but that's a different story. Anyway, the ground was cursed, life was hard and the labor became a struggle. Since then, we've had to work to feed ourselves, work to clothe ourselves, work to buy cool cars and fancy new gadgets. And therein lies the problem.

Why do we work anyway? It seems that early on - the good old days - our labor was simply for food. Adam had to till the ground so that it would bear fruit and vegetables to eat. God provided clothing for Adam and Eve and they didn't really need much else. Presumably they labored to put shelter over their heads, but they may not have even needed that, since it never even rained at that point. Somewhere along the way, the situation continued to change and the motives behind our labor became soiled with greed. Food was one thing, but we also started wanting things - nicer houses, more sheep and cattle, more prominence.

It's clear that we also didn't like the whole idea of breaking a sweat to achieve all these new-found goals as we started convincing or forcing others to do the work for us. It seems we wanted to get back into that managerial role. Egypt did it. Israel, after being delivered from their oppression, did it. And history is full of countless examples. Perhaps this was our way of trying to regain the fellowship with God we once had and long for still. Unfortunately, as can be expected from a mankind that is no longer perfect, we got it wrong. Our intentions were ignoble and our methods were critically flawed. Solomon must have finally realized this when he got around to writing Ecclesiastes.

Fast forward to the New Testament. Here we have the perfect man again. His labor is hard, but his intentions are pure. He's a manager, but he's fair. His motives are for the benefit of everyone. He's willing to sacrifice Himself to provide for others. He is, of course, Jesus Christ, and since He's also God, He knows best. His example allows some to get it right after His time on earth. The Apostle Paul for example, got it right.

Paul talked about labor a few times, explaining why he labored and what he hoped to accomplish. Why did he labor? 2 Thessalonians states that his labor was an effort to avoid being a burden to those to whom he hoped to minister. He labored to share the Gospel message. He toiled to teach others and reach them. He struggled in prayer for the churches and members, night and day. His labor was motivated by love and his goal was to benefit others.

Paul understood that he would receive rewards for the effort he put into his work. We understand that as well, but we translate that into material possessions. Certainly, our work results in money, which we can trade in for goods with a clean conscience. However, that's just the visible benefit of our work. If that's all there is, then we've still gotten it wrong. Our labor should produce love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, long-suffering, faithfulness, kindness, and self-control.

Thanks for your time.

- bdg.