Christian thoughts on Labor Day.
Is there a difference between work and labor? For Christians, we view work as an integral part in the imago dei (the image of God).
The Bible tells us that everything began with God working for 6 days and resting on the seventh. When he placed Adam in the garden, His first gift was that of work and even though we don’t know directly why God asked man to work, it is suggested that the capacity to work---to create, to steward, and to care for what God had given--- is important. If the one who created us works; than we should find joy in it as well and perform it in a way that is honoring to our Creator.
But after the fall, work became more of labor. God called work good, but then cursed the ground, the raw material of our day-to-day activities. That curse condemned us to feelings of longing and lack when we can't quite accomplish the things we set out to do.
The creativity of man, then, while subject to the effects of the fall, is nevertheless a mirror-image of the creativity of God. It is designed to be a source of joy so fulfilling and wonderful that the Lord deemed it necessary to give us the fourth commandment in order to insure that we would set our work aside and rest at least one day a week!
It was designed so that our love of work is honoring our creator and we use our talents and abilities to further His kingdom. This is also why He gave us the Sabbath. God did not want us working every day even though it was designed to be joyful and many of us love what we do. Just as if we were a child or an adult doing some activity or playing and never wanted to stop, work was intentionally designed likewise.
So the Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath!
Enjoy the holiday and enjoy your work as it is honoring to our Creator!
The Bible tells us that everything began with God working for 6 days and resting on the seventh. When he placed Adam in the garden, His first gift was that of work and even though we don’t know directly why God asked man to work, it is suggested that the capacity to work---to create, to steward, and to care for what God had given--- is important. If the one who created us works; than we should find joy in it as well and perform it in a way that is honoring to our Creator.
But after the fall, work became more of labor. God called work good, but then cursed the ground, the raw material of our day-to-day activities. That curse condemned us to feelings of longing and lack when we can't quite accomplish the things we set out to do.
The creativity of man, then, while subject to the effects of the fall, is nevertheless a mirror-image of the creativity of God. It is designed to be a source of joy so fulfilling and wonderful that the Lord deemed it necessary to give us the fourth commandment in order to insure that we would set our work aside and rest at least one day a week!
It was designed so that our love of work is honoring our creator and we use our talents and abilities to further His kingdom. This is also why He gave us the Sabbath. God did not want us working every day even though it was designed to be joyful and many of us love what we do. Just as if we were a child or an adult doing some activity or playing and never wanted to stop, work was intentionally designed likewise.
So the Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath!
Enjoy the holiday and enjoy your work as it is honoring to our Creator!
posted by Anonymous at 5:42 AM
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