Labor Day – Not Just Another Day Off Work

Labor Day is next Monday, and many of us know what that means: College football season gets into full swing this weekend. Hooray! But as millions stream through the gates of collegiate stadiums across the country, and many more millions tune in to watch their favorite teams on TV, we’d do well not to forget the significance of the upcoming holiday itself. 

The history of Labor Day traces back to New York City on Sept. 5, 1882, where the Central Labor Union organized a parade. But it wasn’t until June 28, 1894, in response to strikes over unfair labor practices and public pressure during the Industrial Revolution, that President Grover Cleveland signed legislation to establish it as a national holiday. Its purpose was to celebrate historical achievements such as eight-hour workdays, free weekends, and safer working conditions.

 

Today, many people enjoy it primarily for extending the weekend. Some communities sponsor parades, while many folks plan backyard barbecues and picnics, and take advantage of retail sales events. 

 

Always observed on the first Monday of September, Labor Day deserves to be regarded as more than just another day away from labor. It should be a time for recognizing the intrinsic value of work, along with economic achievements that have helped to build our nation and lift the living standards of countless millions of workers and their families.

 

Sadly, it seems work has been devalued, especially in recent years. The COVID pandemic contributed to this, with millions of American workers either losing their jobs, being sent home to work remotely, or having their work hours drastically reduced as a consequence of shutdowns. But studies indicate the lowered prominence of work in society has persisted post-pandemic.

 

For instance, approximately seven million prime-age men (ages 25-54) reportedly are neither working nor seeking employment. This means adult male labor force participation has declined to below 67 percent, compared to 77 percent in the 1970s and the all-time high of nearly 87 percent in 1948. Numerous factors have contributed to this, but what’s most troubling is that millions of people – men and women – aren’t working, not because they can’t find work but rather because they choose not to work.

 

Some might wonder, ‘What’s the big deal?’ It’s a big deal for several reasons. Most important, work was established by God. The opening chapter of Genesis in the Old Testament, after describing how the Lord pursued His work of Creation, gives us what some theologians refer to as the “cultural mandate”:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness….’ God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature…. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food…’” (Genesis 1:26-29).

 

God is a worker, and part of being made in His image is that men and women also are to be workers, tending to what He has created. Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve – “the Fall” – the Lord prescribed that work would become difficult. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you…. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…” (Genesis 3:17-19).

 

Despite this, work through the centuries has retained a sense of purpose, even nobility. King Solomon observed, “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot” (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

 

Work also is a way of honoring God by wholeheartedly using the abilities and talents He has entrusted to us: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:17,23-24).

 

A third important value of work is being able to employ our skills, gifts and experience to serve others. We take many forms of work for granted, but have you ever considered what it would be like if there were no one to perform them? 

 

We expect to walk into a clean restroom, but there must be someone to keep it clean. At a restaurant we rely on people to take our orders, serve our food, and clean off the tables when we leave so they’re ready for someone else. To fly anywhere safely requires hundreds of people, starting with the plane’s designers and manufacturers, maintenance crew to put fuel in and make necessary repairs, ticket agents, pilots and co-pilots, flight attendants, cabin cleaners, food preparers, air traffic controllers, and many others.

 

At times we might regard work as “a necessary evil,” but whatever kind of work we do, in one way or another we’re performing an important function for other people. As the apostle Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

 

Our foremost example is Jesus Christ. Before embarking on His earthly ministry, He was a craftsman. Ultimately, His work was to teach, heal the sick and disabled, feed the hungry, bring a handful of people back to life, and then die on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus always had a clear understanding of why He had come: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

 

So, as you’re enjoying the Labor Day holiday, and perhaps assessing the first full weekend of college football, please don’t forget: God ordained work, He has equipped you with capabilities to do your work, and many people benefit from what you do. Happy Labor Day!

Celebrating Work, an Integral Part of Everyday Life

There are those among us who regard work merely as ‘a necessary evil.’ They live for being able to declare, “TGIF! – Thank Goodness It’s Friday!” But from its beginning, work has been an integral part of American life and culture. It’s fitting that every year our nation designates September’s first Monday as Labor Day.

 

To some folks, Labor Day is simply the last holiday before the beginning of the school year and the long slog through autumn until Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. But Labor Day should also be a time for recognizing the efforts – the blood, sweat and tears – of countless millions who labored in steel mills, coal mines, factories, and shops; drove trucks, laid railroad tracks, built highways, designed and made clothing, and developed new technological innovations. The list could go on and on.

The significance of work has been put to melody and song in many ways, some positive and some not. Consider just a sampling of labor-related hit tunes from years past:

“Working 9 to 5” by Dolly Parton; “Chain Gang” by Sam Cooke; “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive; “Workin’ For a Livin’” by Huey Lewis and the News; “Take This Job and Shove It” by Johnny Paycheck; “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford; “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles.

 

Work has such universal value that it was the subject of not one, but two songs in the animated Walt Disney classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Many of us can still happily recall “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work.” Snow White and her little friends were an industrious lot.

 

In more ways than we could count, we’ve all benefited from work. But work wasn’t a concept conjured up by some caveman who stumbled across the possibility of making a fire or fashioning a primitive wheel. It wasn’t thought up by the many “captains of industry.” It was God’s idea from the start, as we see in the opening chapter of the Bible’s first book.

 

After creating humankind in His own image, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the ground…. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food…’” (Genesis 1:27-30).

 

But God didn’t create work as a burden or a punishment. He originally designed it as part of his purpose for humanity. Some theologians have termed it the “cultural mandate” – to serve as keepers or stewards of His creation. We also see this in the New Testament, where the apostle Paul declared, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

 

Imagine being given the honor of being “fellow workers” with God?

 

Along with this amazing privilege comes great responsibility. Work is an obligation and a necessity as well. In this post-pandemic age when it seems fewer and fewer are motivated to work and seem to have figured out ways not to, the Bible offers numerous admonitions about the importance and intrinsic value of honest labor.

 

Writing to Christ followers in the ancient city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul apparently was addressing a problem with people who had an aversion to work. That, he stated, could not be tolerated: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

 

As an aside, this phrase was even incorporated into early Communist and socialist writings. Russian leader Vladimir Lenin wrote in his 1917 work, The State and Revolution, that “he who does not work shall not eat” was an essential principle under socialism. Somehow, it seems, the gravity of that conviction has been lost in contemporary thinking, socialist or otherwise.

 

The Bible, of course, does not endorse such ideologies, promoting instead the virtues of hard work and personal initiative. Proverbs 15:19 puts it this way, “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.” Looking at this from a little different angle, Proverbs 16:26 observes, “The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.”

 

Even nature affirms this reality. State and national parks feature signs that read, “Don’t feed the bears” and “Don’t feed the animals.” Left alone, these creatures are perfectly able to find food by themselves. Feeding them disrupts this natural instinct, making them lazy and dependent.

Bottom line: As we observe this Labor Day, most of us treating it as a ‘lazy day’ – a much-needed break from our jobs – let’s pause to appreciate the benefits and values we can derive from a hard day’s work, in whatever form it takes. 

Since When Did the Work Ethic Become Unethical?

Walking into a restaurant last week, my wife and I were greeted by a sign that read, “We are short staffed. Please be patient with the staff that did show up. No one wants to work anymore.” Evidently, this is not an exaggeration. A recent newspaper article quoted other restaurant owners making the same complaint. An increasing number can’t find enough workers to keep their doors open.

Some people attribute this to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, but in many parts of the country, life is returning to a semblance of sanity. Restaurants and other retail establishments are resuming regular hours and activities, and people are venturing out of their homes. But workers are staying away in droves. Why? 

 

It appears unemployment benefits and several rounds of Covid-19 stimulus payments have convinced some folks it’s no longer necessary to work to generate income. Months ago, a friend who owns several service franchises told me it has become difficult to find workers. Often, his help-wanted ads receive little or no response. Even previous employees are reluctant to return to work, satisfied to collect government payments while not working. 

 

Is this “the American dream”? As one wag has termed it, “Payday every day – and no work on payday.” Our society has come a long way; but that doesn’t mean it’s a good way.

 

In the early 1900s, German sociologist Max Weber wrote The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which embraced values such as diligence, discipline, hard work, innovation and frugality. While his discussion encompassed theology, sociology, economics and history, this work ethic is firmly anchored in teachings from the Bible.

 

The book of Proverbs in particular affirms the virtues of enterprise, initiative, determination and the use of one’s unique skills for the benefit of others. It says things such as:

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4).

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11).

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23).

“The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him one” (Proverbs 16:26).

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).

“He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored” (Proverbs 27:18).

 

Granted, most of these proverbs are couched in an agricultural context, but the principles fit any field of vocational endeavor: Hard work, diligence and the proper utilization of talents and abilities usually reap a tangible reward. 

 

Work obviously isn’t a concept that developed over the past few centuries. Its origin traces to the Creation account, recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. After creating humankind “in His own image,” the Lord gave Adam and Eve their job description: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food…’” (Genesis 1:27-29).

 

For the six days of Creation, God Himself had been diligently, ambitiously and imaginatively working. And He desired for the people created in His own image to do likewise. Sadly, following the first man and woman’s sinful disobedience against God, disregarding the one taboo He had given them, one of the curses of their rebellion was that work became hard. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you…. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…” (Genesis 3:17-19).

 

But that doesn’t diminish the fact that work was ordained and mandated by God, a form of sacred service to Him and His creation. In fact, the apostle Paul noted this in a letter to a first-century church: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat’" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

 

[Interesting side note: These words had significance even for Vladimir Lenin, a founder of Communism. He referred to them in his 1917 work, “The State and Revolution,” and later they were incorporated into the Russian Constitution of 1918: “He who does not work shall not eat.” We don’t offer hear this cited by voices heralding the supposed virtues of socialism.]

 

Getting back to the claim that “no one wants to work anymore,” even if not intended, this reflects an affront to God. Because the Scriptures declare work is much more than physical and mental labor expended in return for a paycheck. 

 

From the beginning, working was designed as a form of worship and reverence for the Creator. As it declares in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” 

 

Some may disagree, but refusing to work simply because a check from the government will arrive without the investment of any time or effort is to say, in effect, “God, I don’t want to serve you. I have no desire to use the strength and abilities you’ve given me to honor You or to be of benefit to others.” One reason we were created is to work. To intentionally not work when we’re able to do so rejects a key part of God’s plan and purpose for us all.