This weekend we celebrate the final holiday of the summer — Labour Day — a day many of us celebrate by staying home from work.
It is that last opportunity to get away before summer ends, fall routines begin and the kids go back to school.
Although job dissatisfaction is epidemic, very little ever gets accomplished without work. Whether it’s fixing teeth, collecting garbage, selling products, growing food, designing buildings, managing staff, teaching children, repairing cars, or providing spiritual care and guidance, we depend on work - doing it and having it done. Let’s celebrate it.
The Bible has some significant things to say about work.
• All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23, NIV)
• Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Proverbs 22:29, NIV)
• Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. (Proverbs 28:19, NIV)
St. Paul, himself a very hard worker, also spoke about work to those who follow Jesus:
• Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, (Colossians 3:23, NIV)
• Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, NLT)
Enjoy the weekend.
And hopefully we’ll go back to our jobs next week with a fresh appreciation of work.
Mike invites dialogue at [email protected]
