By Charles Hendrix
Special to The Baptist Paper
We may not realize it, but we will spend nearly a quarter of our lives at work — just not on Labor Day.
An act to pay tribute to American workers was passed by Congress in 1894 and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. Labor Day was designated a legal holiday on the first Monday of each September.
The holiday was considered a way to salute the American work force which had given us the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world had ever known.
When I was a young student, the new school year began the day after Labor Day, which was the symbolic end of summer. It was also considered in the early 1900s to be the last day of the year that one could properly wear white apparel.
Labor Day is the only national holiday dedicated to ordinary people rather than heroes and historic events. It provides an opportunity for all of us to recognize and honor the working men and women who have built America to it’s present stature.
Our toil was ordained by God with Adam’s fall: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food” (Gen. 3:19). Since Adam began working in the Garden of Eden, we’ve been destined to have jobs. We cannot escape the fact that work is necessary for all who desire the basic necessities of food and shelter.
The Bible informs us of many occupations during biblical times: Abraham was a herdsman; David was a shepherd; Peter, Andrew, James and John earned their living as fishermen, while Paul was a tentmaker.
Jesus Himself was a carpenter prior to His ministry. Being human as well as divine, He likely had callouses on His hands. Surely He experienced the burning sensation of sawdust in His eyes and nostrils and knew about being tired and weary after a long day in Joseph’s work shop.
His great invitation to all workers, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), shows His compassion for us.
Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:23 that whatever we do, work at it with all our hearts as we are working for the Lord, not for men.
Let your employer and fellow employees perceive the life and character of Jesus in your daily work. In the final analysis, that’s how you draw seekers to your Savior.
Giving all that we can
I recall a story about a old farmer who was selling his best cow. The prospective buyer asked the farmer about the cow’s pedigree, butterfat production and monthly output of milk. The farmer said, “I don’t know what a pedigree is and I don’t have any idea about butterfat production, but she’s a good cow and she will give you all the milk she has.”
Perhaps we should follow the example of the milk cow and give all that we can in our chosen field.
Our prayers for Labor Day should be to do the best job that we can in our workplace. We should cherish the friendship of our coworkers and take pride in our place of employment.
Our production will be enhanced, our company will prosper and together we will be a positive contribution to our community.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Charles Hendrix is a member of Fannin Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi.
Seeking community in a work-from-home world
By Shawn Hendricks
The Baptist Paper
Working from home can be a great thing — lack of interruptions, few if any in-person meetings and a kitchen stocked with snacks. It also can be a lonely environment as well.
While companies continue to offer flexible remote work options, there are those longing for more interaction and face-to-face communication. Earlier this year, the men in my Sunday School class who work remote launched occasional — once to twice a month — “work from home” Fridays.
The idea is for the group to work together at someone’s house for a few hours. The gatherings feature their share of quiet work moments — we do have jobs with work to be done — sprinkled with plenty of light-hearted banter and food.
Need for relationships
The need for community goes beyond the professional world. In the Nashville area, a group called Sunday Assembly gathers on the second Sunday of every month.
It’s not a church. According to its website, this secular event “combines inspiring talks, sing-along pop songs and a touch of mindfulness, all followed up by coffee and a chance to go to lunch with new friends.”
There are more than 70 Sunday Assembly chapters around the world. While these events reject organized religion, they demonstrate the vast need people have for community — and an opportunity for churches to reach out.
In our increasingly remote world, people need Christian community. And as Proverbs 27:17 notes, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
“Millions of people in Ukraine continue to suffer today from the war caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation,” said Valerii Antoniuk, president of the Baptist Union of Ukraine, in an appeal for prayer. “In this time of trials, we need not only political and humanitarian support, but also spiritual solidarity — through prayers, compassion and fraternal participation.”
“In times of peace and war, our chaplains have held fast as beacons of hope and resilience for our troops, whether enduring the brutal winter of Valley Forge, comforting the wounded and dying on the battlefields during the Civil War, braving trench warfare in World War I, storming the beaches of Normandy during World War II, marching the frozen mountains during the Korean War, slogging through the rice paddies and jungle battlefields of Vietnam or traveling the bomb-filled roads of Iraq and Afghanistan,” said retired Chaplain (Major General) Doug Carver, a former Army chief of chaplains in charge of the Southern Baptist Convention’s chaplaincy ministries.
“Even dying ministries likely had a ‘heyday’ in the past. Participants can still ‘remember when’ the ministry was stronger. Be open to hearing those stories, and then work personally with the leaders to revitalize the program,” said Chuck Lawless, senior evangelism and missions professor and dean at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In our moment of cultural disruption, many people are turning to Scripture and faith communities for answers.
Ed Stetzer
via Facebook
Healing is such a process. And when more hurtful things happen in the midst of our healing, it’s only natural for bitterness to come knocking.
But I’ve learned that bitterness doesn’t protect me or prove anything. It only turns me into someone I don’t want to be. So I find a healthier way to process than seething over what happened.
If you’re struggling with this right now, I want you to know how sorry I am. But I also want you to remember sometimes our hearts aren’t bitter … they are just really broken.
And Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I love this promise from God. He is close to us when our hearts are broken from circumstances we can’t change and relationships that will never be the same. You are not alone in your hurt.
Lysa Terkuerst
via Facebook
Desiring a legacy isn’t the same as desiring to make a Kingdom impact.
Tara Leigh Cobble
via Instagram
