But to Him Who Does Not Work: Reflections on Labor Day

As I sit on the patio, iced tea in hand, thankful for the day, my thoughts go to Labor Day. It’s a holiday most of us give little thought to.

Like many Americans, my wife and I plan to get together with friends for what has become an annual barbecue. Families rush to the stores to get last-minute deals on back-to-school merchandise before the dawning of another school year comes in the morning. We eat, we talk, we rest from our labors, and we go on with our lives.

As with most holidays, we need to be reminded of why it is this day has been set apart. Since 1894, Labor Day has been recognized as a federal holiday highlighting the work and achievements of American workers.

A sort of “workingman’s holiday”, Labor Day’s development came about due, in large part, to the rise of labor unions and the fight for fair pay, safe work environments, and shorter work weeks. All of us, regardless of our stance towards unions as they are today, benefit from the Labor Movement in some way. Because of their work, we rest.

As I contemplate these things, I see vivid parallels between our American celebration of Labor Day and the Christian life.

The American life, firmly rooted in the Puritan work ethic, thrives on hard work and its rewards. We are a “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps” culture, and to some degree, this is biblical and right (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The Christian life, though, is not supposed to be lived this way; indeed, it cannot be, because our life in Christ begins the moment we stop working.

This concept is diametrically opposed to every other religious system’s teachings. Reaching God--or Nirvana, peace, “your best self”, etc.--involves work on the human’s part, in nearly every religion and “spiritual” belief system.

I was once talking to a Hindu doctor friend. He explained to me that, in his view, God is at the top of a mountain. Every religion is a path that winds upward to God, and, while each path may seem divergent at the base of the mountain, it becomes apparent, as one reaches the top, that each religious path is equally effective at getting to God.

The Bible, however, is not the source of this pluralistic map to the Divine.

To the contrary, the Scriptures record, to borrow my friend’s illustration, that God came down from the mountaintop, took on human flesh, lived as we live, was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin, and showed that there is one path to Himself--faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, alone.  In other words, God did all the work.

In fact, the Apostle Paul writes that the act of justification--being made right with God--is, to our minds, counterintuitive: it can only happen when we rest from our efforts to earn our way to Him. “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…” (Romans 4:5).
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So, this Labor Day, as we enjoy our families and friends, let’s not forget that ultimately, every day is Labor Day for the believer, because justification was made possible by the work Christ accomplished on the cross. All there is left for us to do is trust in His work and rest from ours.

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