As Americans prepare for the relaxing
weekend known as Labor Day, the Christian is reminded there are no vacations from service
to God.
It is God who gave us our terrific
"work ethic". He had to "rest" from six days of creative activity
(Genesis 1,2). What was a fairly simple existence for man, became the daily grind. God
decreed,
....cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall
eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and
you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till
you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust
you shall return. – Gen 3:17-19
In the New Testament the Apostle Paul
reminded us to do what is good with our hands and to work hard so that we have something
to share with those in need (Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10). He said and man who won’t
work should not eat.
While the great Apostle had much to say
on the subject of labor, our Lord Jesus set down the pattern. He said, "We must
work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can
work" (John 9:4). Jesus labored to save our souls until his dying day. The
Apostle Paul exhibited the same purpose and conviction when he said, "But if I am
to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to
choose" (Phil 1:22). Do we who "trust only in the blood" and
"cling only to the cross", also, labor for the cause of Christ? If not, then a
re-evaluation of our purpose is in order.
God wants us to labor in the harvest of
souls. Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore
beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Lk.
10:2). The business of winning souls is the business of every Christian. Through our
example, but even more so, through our words we win the Lost over to Christ. The Proverb
says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls"
(Pro. 11:30). As we pray that others go "and make disciples", let’s
consider what we can and should do.
A message on Christian duty would
certainly be incomplete if both motive and reward were not addressed. According to Jesus,
the motive is to "save the lost." Paul said it was for this he labored and
strived: to "present every man complete in Christ" (Lk. 19:10; Col. 1:28,29). To
save souls is a labor of love. Every disciple of Jesus wants to see the Lost become Saved.
And what is the Christian’s Reward?
The Hebrew writer says,
"For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and
the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still
ministering to the saints" (Heb. 6:10).
When the subject concerned the building
of the church, Paul said that one man plants and another waters, "but each will
receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Cor. 3:8). It would be unjust
if God were to forget what we do in his name. God rewards the work and labor that is of
faith and gratitude.
While some Christians vacation or retire
from spiritual labor, the faithful remain diligent until the end. Our day of rest will
come when we pass from this life to the next. It seems to this writer that every Christian
should be able to detail exactly what he is doing for Christ. As you plan for a relaxing
Labor Day weekend, will you also make plans to become more involved in God’s work?
– Dan Mayfield