Why Celebrate Labor Day?

Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, became a federal holiday in 1894 to honor the work of organized labor and trade unions. As Christians, however, we can observe this holiday for a different reason: to celebrate the work that God blesses us with.

For most of us, it seems odd thing to celebrate the work that we do. We typically think of labor as the unpleasant stuff that we have to do in order to pay the bills or keep things functioning. Labor is what we have to do; rest and recreation is what we want to do. However, by celebrating Labor Day with a Christian twist, we can distinguish between two types of labor, which I’ll call “work” and “toil.”

“Work” is the productive activity that we can do by using the abilities and calling that God has given us. Work can benefit the lives of other people, improve ourselves, make the world a better place, and increase the kingdom of God around us. There are lots of examples of “work” in the Bible, going all the way back to the garden of Eden, when “the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). We picture life in Eden as the ultimate vacation, but God didn’t put Adam there to kick back and take it easy. Adam worked in the Garden of Eden. And the work was a blessing: for Adam, for the garden, and for the Lord. “Work” is something that enhances our lives as we live out God’s calling for us. If you can’t imagine how “work” can make life better for you, spend some time with someone who isn’t able to be productive, because of health or aging issues. I’ve heard many people say that idleness and inactivity is the hardest part of their circumstances.

“Toil,” on the other hand, is very different. Toil breaks you down and diminishes the quality and joy of life. This is the kind of labor that destroys your spirit and makes life miserable. After Adam and Eve sinned and were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, Adam’s punishment was that his “work” became “toil:” “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). People usually toil out of obligation: to struggle to make ends meet, or because of servitude. Examples of toil would be slaves in the pre-war South, coal miners who owe their soul to the company store, sweat shop workers who are isolated and abused, and people trapped in the 9 to 5 rat race.

God’s desire for us is the blessing of work, not the curse of toil. But because the curse is so prevalent in our lives, it’s hard for us to imagine that labor can be anything other than toil. We avoid it at all costs, and see it only as something negative. And yet, it can be a blessing. When God calls us, he does not call us to be passive recipients of his grace. He calls us to work in partnership with him. It is a wonderful thing when the labor you do to pay the bills and manage your responsibilities fills your life with meaning and purpose. It is a sad thing when your labor is a burden that tears away at the fiber of your being. And it is not what God wants for you.

Peter