This goes out to all the hard working men and women in our community. Don’t you think it kind of ironic that we have a holiday called Labor Day?  It’s okay with me, but shouldn’t they call it Rest Day? Our Government gives us one day a year, but God gives us one a week.  I like God’s ideas best!  I have a few thoughts about labor and work.

The secret to any success is hard work.  Whether it is the building of a church or a hot-dog stand, the making of a good life or good grades, work is the great secret to success. No amount of talent can take its place.  Some new research has shown that natural talent is actually due to the amount of work put into the effort.  The Bible has much to say about work…

1. Work is spiritual. 

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”(Proverbs 13:4). The great test of Christianity is obedience.  God has commanded us to work and when we work we please Him.

2. Work is succeeding.

The word ‘work’ implies to produce or achieve.  When we do a job, we are to do it well and this leads to success. From childhood we should be taught that if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Every job should be done thoroughly and carefully.  When your children are growing up and have a task to do, let them carry the task through to completion. They will learn character and you will gain a helper.

3. The worker should do what needs to be done.

No task is too little to demand our best, and no task is too great but what our best plus God is enough.

4. If a person does not work, he should not eat. 

‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess. 3:10).  We do not help a lazy fellow when we feed him. Rather we help him when we teach him that if he does not work, he does not eat.  This is God’s plan.  Obviously, sickness and other circumstances may prevent someone from working. But God expects all of us to be producers.

5. One should learn to work without a boss.

“Which having no guide, oversee, or ruler…” (Prov. 6:7). Nothing quite reveals the lack of character in a person more than for him to refuse to work when the boss is not looking.  The passage in Proverbs talks about the little ant, who has more character than a lot of people.

Work is spiritual.  One cannot be a good Christian and not work. One cannot be a good Christian and not obey. One cannot be a good Christian and not do his best at every task.

You can also read some of my other articles about work: Too Many Chiefs, Not Enough Indians, How to be a ‘Great’ Person.