COLUMN: Do your work as if doing it for the Lord
“Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you”. (John 21:1-3)
A simple insight into the life of Jesus’ disciples soon after his resurrection. They were participants in the greatest event in history. The future of the faith was about to be placed on their shoulders; and what did they do? They went back to work. Peter, James and John fished for a living. They were not the kind of men who could long sit and ponder their navels, so they went back to doing what they did best, and the other disciples joined them. Sound weird? Not really. We were designed for work. Our bodies respond to labor. Our minds stay sharp when we exercise them and we produce results —marvelous, wonderful results. Think about all the blessings we enjoy because of someone else’s labor. Think of all the folks who enjoy the fruit of your hard work. There is something satisfying about doing a good job providing something someone else needs. And earning a paycheck is not half bad either!
This is Labor Day Weekend. Most of us think of it as a holiday marking the end of summer, a time for sodas and pretzels and beer over backyard barbecues. Actually the day has a rather sobering history. In 1880 a man by the name of George Pullman founded a company, which made sleeper cars for trains. He built a whole town around his company, which provided homes and all the amenities for his employees. He oversaw virtually every area of his workers’ lives, including automatically deducting from their paychecks the rent they paid for the row homes he provided.
All that changed in 1892 when the wildly successful company was caught up in a nationwide economic downturn. As orders for sleeping cars plummeted, Pullman responded by laying off many workers and reducing the salaries of the rest, while expecting them to still pay the same amount of rent. Keenly feeling the sting of decisions, which seemed arbitrary, the employees walked off the job. They were joined by other workers in the railroad industry instantly giving the strike national exposure. Tensions rose. The strike turned ugly. President Grover Cleveland called in 12,000 troops to quell the violence. In the end two men were dead and the country had its collective eyes opened about the role of labor in making this nation great.
Folks were reminded that workingmen and women were not tools for producing products — they were the backbone of the economy, human beings of value whose contributions should be recognized and honored. Congress, ever quick to respond to political expediency, soon authorized a national holiday. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Sept. 5, 1895. We have followed the tradition ever since.
This Labor Day perhaps we would do well to give some thought to the work each of us does. Whether you are an owner, a manager or a laborer, you are a vital link in our economy. I hope you enjoy what you do for a living but, whether you like your job or not, you matter. Yet there is more. From God’s perspective, you have an opportunity to live into your calling. You see, the Lord doesn’t care so much what you do as how you do it. Do you work for His glory? Are you a bookkeeper? Then balance the books in such a way that God is glorified. If you dig ditches or flip hamburgers, do it as if you are doing it for your Lord. It is clear that long ago Peter and the others fished for Jesus.
Wouldn’t it be a different world if we all sought to please the Lord in our own endeavors? He is, after all, present wherever we are. He watches us whatever we do. In our interactions with others do we treat them with respect? Are we pleasant? Do we do the very best we can? If so, we live into our calling as followers of Jesus to glorify him. Hearing a compliment from a customer or a boss is heartening, but nothing compares to hearing from the Lord of all creation, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
The Rev. Mike Hesse is senior pastor of Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin.
