Labor Day Thought

More often than not I find myself complaining about something work related. In fact there is a big part of me that doesn't like work at all. It is no wonder, because the curse on Adam and the natural world make work what it is--WORK! We collect our bread by the sweat of our brow.
I grew up in construction and have leaned on my skills for most of my life. This is hard work. It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I have to remind myself that though work as described is curse related it is also sanctioned by God. On six days we work. The seventh we rest. This cycle is representative of what we have in Christ, "rest," and what our state will be like ultimately on the last day. When I think of this I remember that there is something to be gained from work. There is a sense of worth that is to be found in labor. The sloth is hard at work, in a sense, doing his thing--though there is no sense of value and dignity for him.
What is it that we are working for anyways? First, temporally speaking we work for life's provisions.We work for our bread, shelter, and worldly needs (and wants). We need to eat, have clothing, and have a place to live. All of this is accomplished through work. Even the rich are at work maintaining their riches. Most things that we work for in this life are fleeting --reflecting the imperfections of this world. A new car always gets a scratch or a rock in the windshield. Eventually it gets old and needs to be replaced. We just bought a new refrigerator and it already has two broken shelves. I damaged a utility trailer at work and have to pay for it to be repaired. Such things are always with us. Our earthly homes bear the marks of impermanence, both our physical houses and our bodies. All will return to where it came from. Secondly, we work eternally for God's glory and kingdom and a reward that does not perish.
Spurgeon said that a smart man works by the sweat of his mind and not his brow. But I find that both are work. So whether you are on a construction site, in a seminary or university library, pushing a pencil behind a desk, or digging ditches, do all for the glory of God!

By the way shouldn't labor day be called leisure day?