A FEW THOUGHTS ON LABOR DAY

today we celebrate the working man and the opportunity that Christ gives us to labor and earn our living. Paul, in speaking to the church in Thessalonica states “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12) Paul found out that some of the people in the church were not willing to work, but rather expecting others to take care of them. He urged the people in Thessalonica to follow his example and to work for themselves, so they would not be a burden on others.

Today we celebrate that we have been given the privilege to work. We celebrate that we are able to use the talents and the abilities that God has shared with us, to display the image of God that is in us, to our families, co-workers and supervisors.

Here are a few quotes regarding work:

“Every single piece of work you do, every hour of every day must be good enough to show to God and say, ‘Lord, this is my offering to You.  What do You think?’” John MacArthur

“Originally man was a flower arranger, and the curse turned him into a plow horse. The Fall did not introduce work, it changed its nature.” John MacArthur

“Only men build massive edifices that are mind-boggling achievements of engineering and brilliance and creativity. This is the dignity of what it means to work in the image of God. This is our dignity. This is part of the nobility of being a man. We have been given, according to Genesis 1:26, dominion over the earth.” John MacArthur

“Work was always God’s design for us to be able to draw out all that is in this creation for the demonstration of our nobility being created in the image of God and for the glory of God and for the benefit of all man. It can be redeemed. It must be redeemed and that’s why we work”. John MacArthur

“Idleness is the rust and canker of the soul.” Robert Bolton

“It is swinish and sinful not to work.” Richard Baxter

Have a wonderful Labor day my friends!!

(photo by Samantha Navarro)