Rest for the Laborer

This first weekend in September, America celebrates Labor Day. It's a long holiday weekend, established to honor working men and women, to reward those who labor long and hard. It's a last summer fling before the kids go back to school and before we dig into the challenges of the Autumn. Yet, for many, an extra day off doesn't provide real relief or rest from the weight and stress of their labors. How can our work be a joy rather than a burden, a blessing rather than a curse, a holy calling rather than a salaried cell?

These simple suggestions can help us to stay joyful and productive at whatever task God puts before us.

1) We Should See That Our Labor Is Purposeful.

I remember running into a college classmate at a reunion and asked him what he was doing for a living. After a little hesitation, he said that he was in quality control for a commercial air-conditioning manufacturer. I thought, "How did he get into that? Who thinks up jobs like that?" But then I wondered what hot days would be like if nobody did that job. Chances are, we would be a lot less comfortable in our labors. Remember our labor is purposeful. With that in mind, here are ways in which our work is purposeful.

• Work Is a Calling Not A Curse, though it was made harder because of the curse. (Genesis 2:15, 19) Work pre-dated the fall of man. It was present in the Garden of Eden. Mankind was given the responsibility of caring for the creation, naming the animals, and tilling the garden. His work was purposeful.] Then, after sin entered the world, that work became “toil” (Genesis 3).

• God Has Set Us Right Where We Are (1 Corinthians 12:18). “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” We shouldn’t grow discontent desiring someone else’s role in the church or job at work. God knows what he is doing and wants to work on us and through us to bless those around us.

• Every Part Needs To Do Its Share So That The Body Can Grow (Ephesians 4:15-16). The church is a community of those who serve each other and seek the good of the neighborhood. The church needs all its parts building each other up in love in order to grow up into Christ. As it is written, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Life takes Work

• Wait On the Lord And Work In The Strength He Provides (Isaiah 40:29-31).

He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

• Help Others With Their Labors. While God’s plan is for everyone to bear their own load, meaning we should not expect others to do our work for us, we are to be concerned about others and help them when we can.

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)

• God Has Called Us To Be His Ambassadors To Our Co-Workers. It is amazing to think that Jesus has chosen us to be his ambassadors. Are we agents of reconciliation at work or do we promote office drama? Are we examples of the grace of a hard worker or do we make our co-workers pick up the slack? We are missionaries at work, not so much by our words but for our works.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, 

not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

2) Trust God for acknowledgment and appreciation.

We all know how hard it is to maintain our energy and enthusiasm while being chronically unnoticed and under-appreciated. Other people might not notice our labor, but God does. He is aware of everything we do, and our motivation for doing it.

Ultimately He gives us the lasting reward for our labor (Colossians 3:22-24).

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. 

  You are serving the Lord Christ.

If people recognize what we do and express appreciation, then that is just frosting on the cake! Looking only to Christ for affirmation, and the recognition I need, has helped me tremendously. He is the One we serve.

No matter how hard it is now, our reward will far outweigh our suffering (Romans 8:18).

Jesus says to the churches, “I know your works” (Revelation 2-3)

• Ephesus (2:2-3) “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
• Smyrna (2:9-10) “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer…
• Pergamum (2:13) “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 
• Thyatira (2:19, 23) “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first… And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 
• Sardis (3:1b-3) ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.
• Philadelphia (3:8)  “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
• Laodicea (3:15)  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

3) Make the task set before us a labor of love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7; Ephesians 2:4-10; 6:5-9; Philippians 2:14-15).

It's easy to go to work when we love what we do, but what if we don't? What if we either don’t like what we do our work with unpleasant people? It is at that point, we need to love whom we are doing it for. We can decide to make our work an act of love towards the God who first loved us, towards our family, and towards others that God loves... then it will not seem to be an unbearable weight or an endless hassle

My wife got several pretty rude calls this week on the busy switchboard where she works. The caller rudely demanded that she look several things up for him on the internet. After a while she had to put him on hold to answer other calls and when she came back he complained to her, “I don't know who that lady was but she was not helpful and she put me on hold for 5 minutes!” She patiently said, speaking of herself, “That lady was on a switchboard and had other calls to take. He said “she didn't even let me know what she was doing.” We don’t want to be “that guy!” In moments like that my wife had to remember for whom she is really laboring.

It is my experience as well that when it is a labor of love… we have rest in the labor. In addition, because of Jesus completed work of love on the cross, we have been given rest from our labor for salvation.

Let’s take a minute to read 1 Peter 2:18-25, 

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect,

            not only to the good and gentle

            but also to the unjust. 

   For    this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God,

             one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 

   For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?

                  But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure,

            this is a gracious thing       in the sight of God. 

   For to this you have been called, 

                                because Christ also suffered for you,

     leaving you an example,

     so that you might follow in his steps.

   He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

   When he was reviled, he did not revile in return;

    when he suffered,    he did not threaten, 

                          but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 

        He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

                              that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 

   By his wounds you have been healed. 

                        For you were straying like sheep,

                  but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Irenaeus (125-202) taught a theory of recapitulation, where Jesus is seen as positively obeying God in his all stages of life…including his work. Jesus redeems our work in his life as a carpenter/stonemason. The early Church fathers like Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) “That which is not assumed is not healed.” He obeyed the Father without grumbling and so should we.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15)

4) Know where the finish line is.

While we have talked about it recently, reminders never hurt. The finish line is not 5:00 p.m., it’s not Friday, nor Labor Day, it’s not the beginning of our vacation, and it’s not retirement. Those times may change our role and our location but we are not released. The finish line is faithfulness to our Lord, day-by-day, unto the end (Revelation 2:10-11; 14:13).

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Resting In Communion

As we entered into Holy Communion we meditated upon Matthew 11:28-30,

“ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

• “Rest” à we no longer have to labor in an effort to earn our eternal salvation. What a relief!
• “Take my yoke upon you”à yoke often referred to “obedience to the Law” Jesus’ obedience
• “Learn from me”à he has the words of life… walk with him, Invitation to discipleship!
• “Easy & light”àin contrast to the Pharisees who overburdened the people with hopeless requirements Jesus’ way was good! “Easy” usually means “good” or “kind” it represents entering into the disciple-relationship with one who is gentle and lowly in heart. (France, TNTC, 201)

God's promise of rest is still available to us, but will we engage it?

Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ (Jeremiah 6:16-17)

O Lord Jesus, we come to you along the ancient path of Holy Communion, which you established for us so that we might remember your death and resurrection until you come back for us. May we not fail to enter the rest that you provide. Search our hearts even now and lead us in the way everlasting!

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

   For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,

                 that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,

              and when he had given thanks, he broke it,

and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 

   In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 

                              “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

     For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

                    you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes…

   So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—