Labor Day

This morning I received an email from a land far away where a friend described her efforts to explain labor day in an international setting where she is teaching English. Her students first thought it might be a special holiday for women who are having babies.  Then, as they begin to grasp the idea that it was actually a special day to honor working people's contribution to society, they wondered why we didn't call it Happy No Labor Day- an interesting question.

Dictionary.com defines the word as “To perform labor; exert one’s powers of body or mind; work; toil.  To strive, as toward a goal; work hard: to toil.”

The bible has a lot to say about labor, but one section I think particularly challenging are the verses in Hebrews 4 that admonish us to “labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11(KJV) or “Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11(NET)

These contrasting ideas of “labor” and “rest” intrigue me and I’ve been thinking about some implications.  It seems the failure of the Israelites came because they did not trust God in the midst of challenging circumstances.  They failed to believe that God was at work on their behalf and they complained and questioned His character.  

It is easy for me when life gets difficult to fail in the same way and thus miss the “rest of God” I believe.  When I take responsibility for not only my actions but also for the outcomes of those actions (which I cannot control) I’m often stressed and anxious.  I’m wondering if at least by application God is calling me to be faithful in action (labor) but to let the outcomes “rest” in His gracious provision.  When I try to control all the outcomes (an arrogant and impossible undertaking) I’m tempted to complain and grumble.  When I focus on being faithful, not necessarily successful, and trust the outcomes to Him, I find rest.  

Today I am determined to “make every effort” to “rest” the outcomes of any endeavor in Him.  For those of us caught up in performance, this indeed is labor.