Scripture reminds is that labor was instituted before the fall, not after it.  The curse Adam received, “by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread” (Genesis 3:19), came after he had sinned.  Had there been no sin and no fall into sin, Adam would have continued to work, which would also be true for us today. 

Unlike many European nations which observe May Day as an international Labor Day, both the United States and Canada honor labor on the first Monday of September.  Ironically, whether the celebration be for May Day or Labor Day, both holidays are celebrated by ceasing from the very activity, i.e., work.

For most, Labor Day is celebrated by playing or resting rather than by working.  In a way, we have forgotten how honorable labor is. Many would like to hit some kind of a jackpot in hopes of being able to quit working.  Labor is considered, for the most part, a necessary evil.  Returning to the work force on Monday mornings has caused Monday to be one of the least loved days of the week.  Even the rush hour traffic on Monday mornings feels slower.  No one is in a hurry to get back to work.  There may be shouts of TGIF (“Thank Goodness It’s Friday”), but probably never a TGIM (Thank Goodness It’s Monday)!

In our leisure-loving world, we have lost sight of the fact that work, no matter how menial or grand it may be, it is honorable.  One of the problems facing workers in Great Britain is that of enticing them to get off the national dole to accept the many job openings available, neither of which pay well nor appear glamorous.  In the United States, workfare has also faced an uphill battle.  However, those of us who are fortunate and blessed enough to escape the need for the safety net of either welfare or the national dole must guard against a “holier than thou” attitude and exhibit compassion for the plight of those who are unable to work for one reason or another.

Work is not only a positive and creative activity but also an antidote to destructive behavior and activity.  More crime is conceived in an atmosphere of idleness than in the work arena.  The Apostle Paul recognized the benefit of work when he wrote: “Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good” (Ephesians 4:28).

Scripture reminds is that labor was instituted before the fall, not after it.  The curse Adam received, “by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread” (Genesis 3:19), came after he had sinned.  Had there been no sin and no fall into sin, Adam would have continued to work, which would also be true for us today.  After running up and down a terrace mowing my lawn and pulling weeds with perspiration flowing from my brow into my eyes and over my cheeks, I relish the thought of what work was before the fall!

The Apostle Paul goes one step further and recommends labor not only as an antidote to a life of laziness or crime, he also raises it above a self-centered activity to one of compassion towards others when he says: “performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). What a different world this would be if all of us who work incorporated the purpose of sharing with those in need.  In fact, we could organize and form a corporation called “For Others, Incorporated.”  Those who prefer to work only to advance their own interests could also organize themselves into a firm called, “For Self Only, Limited.” However, “For Others, Inc.,” of course, is to be preferred for the company of believers.

Work is not only honorable it affords an opportunity to be compassionate.  Believers should seek to express their work to its highest level as constructive, creative and a mean of showing compassion.  With this biblical perspective we can begin each new workday, we can pray as Moses did about his work:

“Let thy work appear to thy servants,
And thy majesty to their children.
And let the favor of the Lord our God be
upon us;
And do confirm for us the work of our
hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”
(Psalm 90: 16, 17)  

Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.