There is an old song that says we all work hard for our money. Whether we do manual labor, working our physical muscles; or we are in a cerebral occupation, working our mental muscles, the work we do is what keeps our country humming along.
Without the workers in this great land, the economy would grind to a halt, and there would be no more America. Thank God for our workers!
To celebrate those who give of themselves to create a better country, provide for their families, and ensure the stability of our national business interests, we celebrate Labor Day each year. Started on February 21, 1887 in Oregon, Labor Day did not become a national holiday until 1994. However, long before the 90s, Labor Day had become the unofficial end of summer; the start of the school year; the opening of football season; and a shopping extravaganza, as seasonal fashions shifted from summer whites and seersucker to darker hues more appropriate to fall and winter.
This year, as we participate in Labor Day parades or stand over an outdoor grill, let’s take time to consider three labor opportunities the Word gives us for the kingdom of God.
Labor Opportunity #1:
A portion of the pay we receive for our labors should be returned to those who have no opportunity to earn their own pay.
Acts 20:35 tells us that in our labors we ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Labor Opportunity #2:
We should take care not to cheat those who work for us.
Jeremiah 22:13 tells us that if we use the services of our fellow man and do not pay him sufficiently, we will bring the wrath of God on our head.
Labor Opportunity #3:
Not only should we take time off work to rest, we should allow for our employees to have a break from their busy schedules, also.
Exodus 23:12 tells us that in the midst of all our hard work, we are to set aside a regular day of rest. It is vital to include everyone involved in our business, including the children of our employees, and even strangers we do not know.
This is the real reason the American workplace shuts down at the beginning of each September. Oh, man may have thought he planned Labor Day on his own, but this is God’s holiday. It is the day of rest we need in order to jump back into the workaday world for yet another year.
God wants us to kick back on Labor Day, for it is his day of rest. Let’s just not forget to make him a part of our celebrations.
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