We just celebrated the last of the summer holidays -
Labor Day. I spent my weekend enjoying time with some of my family. Last
evening, as I was reflecting back over the weekend, the word "labor"
took center stage. As I mused about the word, my thoughts expanded concerning the meaning of the word, the holiday, and
related spiritual applications. These musings stirred me to sit down and write today. The writing morphed
into this blog post.
According to the United States Department of Labor's
website, Labor Day was initially set
aside to honor and celebrate the social and economic accomplishments and
contributions of American workers (http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm).
It was meant to be a day of rest, refreshment, and recognition. Over the years,
many things about this holiday and how it is recognized and celebrated have
changed. Our culture and its expectations have changed. The workplace
environment has changed. Yet, some things remain the same.
Today, many retail businesses engage in "business
as usual," meaning that more and more employees are at work serving others
on this holiday. Some employees receive the benefit of additional pay because they
work on Labor Day. Some employees enjoy the benefit of a paid day off. Some
people enjoy the fruit of their labors by spending time with friends and family.
Some people use the additional day off to catch up on tasks around the house. Some
people choose to rest, to do the least amount of activity necessary.
In years gone by, many schools did not start until
after Labor Day. The holiday became associated with celebrating the final days
of summer break. Today, many schools begin their year in mid-August. Even so, Labor
Day is still generally thought of as an opportunity to enjoy the "last hurrah" of summer. Labor
Day weekend represents and points to change. Change is active. Change is work.
Change requires labor.
So what is labor? What does it mean from a Biblical
perspective? When I hear the word "labor," I tend to think of hard
work, engaging in something that requires a considerable amount of time and
energy, something requiring much exertion, determination, discipline. Another
aspect of labor, such as "laboring a point," also takes much effort
as we dwell on and/or strive to prove what we are thinking and saying in an
effort to convince ourselves or others into agreeing or seeing our side of a
situation or circumstance. This, too, can be quite tiring - exhausting, in
fact. Mentally and physically.
Labor or work comes in many forms and in various
degrees of intensity. Almost everything requires labor/action of some kind:
getting out of bed, getting dressed, cooking, cleaning, parenting,
relationships, jobs, etcetera - even sleeping. There is the labor of birth,
whether it is birthing children or birthing a dream, a goal, an idea, or a
project into reality. Labor is also involved in prayer and spiritual warfare.
Labor or work can be enjoyable or it can be
drudgery. Labor or work may also result in fatigue
and exhilaration at the same time! This can also apply to daily life. For some,
managing to just make it through each day can be laborious and tiring. For
others, getting through each day is filled with joy and excitement. Sometimes,
men and women, children and adults, get weary as they keep trying, as they keep
hoping, as they keep looking for the rest, for the joy, for the hope of the
good fruits of their labor.
Life/living is labor. Life/living is work. Life/living
is active. Even the most mundane
processes within our physical bodies require work, require action. Take
breathing for instance. On a normal unimpeded basis, we breathe without much
thought or effort on our part. That is, until or unless we have a disease or
physical malady that interferes with the normal process or we have engaged in
activity that stimulates our awareness and need for a change in the way we take
in oxygen. Then, we really notice how much work is involved in breathing!
Life can be that way, too. We can simply be going
along with the flow, operating within our comfortable routines, not giving much
heed to things around us, and then, BOOM, all of a sudden something changes.
Our attention is diverted and a different plan or type of action is required.
Up to this point, we have been engaged in work, in activity, but at a much
lower level than what is now required. Our sense are heightened. Adrenaline may
kick in. Decisions must be made. Confusion may set in. Thoughts and
circumstances need to be sifted and sorted. What was simple has become complicated.
This is work. This is labor.
When it comes to your spiritual life, labor can be
much the same. We are exhorted throughout scripture to work while we can, to be
fruitful, to not grow weary. As I was considering this word "labor," a
portion of scripture came to mind: . . .
. labor to enter into my rest . . . . (from Hebrews 4:11, KJV). What? Labor to
enter into rest? What does that mean? How do we do that? Why do we have to
labor?
According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek
word translated as labor in this passage means: "to use speed, make great effort, be prompt
or earnest :- do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavor, labour,
study." Now that might sound really exhausting to many of us! Sometimes,
just reading or thinking about work can be exhausting! (Some might even think
that reading my blog posts are laborious and exhausting! LOL).
But, we press on.
Waiting is also a form of labor. Much of the time,
the word "wait" conjures up the notion that we are at rest, not doing
anything. However, waiting is a verb. Waiting is active. Waiting is often
accompanied by anticipation. Waiting requires work. Waiting means that our
faith remains intact, and in fact, should be continuing to grow and mature.
Waiting means that we continue to read God's Word and pray. Waiting means that
we continue to do the things that we know to do until change comes. This leads
me to another thought, a word picture, a life application via the kitchen, if
you will. And since the title of my blog does include the word "Musings,"
I am going to go there :)
The idea of rest indicates inactivity - a time of not
working, to be motionless, to pause, take a break from, to sleep, or be idle. Again,
referring to Strong's, the Greek word for rest used in this part of the
scripture passage from Hebrews 4:11 means: "reposing down, i.e. abode -
rest. The word comes from another Greek word meaning to settle down, i.e.
(lit.) to colonize, or (fig.) to (cause to) desist - cease, (give) rest (-rain)."
Hmmm, now this is interesting. As we labor to enter
into the rest that God has provided for us, we cease from our own strivings. We
cease from wrestling with the world. We enter into relationship with Our
Heavenly Father through Jesus, His Son. And, Jesus tells us to come to Him, to cast
our burdens on Him and He will give us rest (reference Matthew 11:28-30). When
we are joined together in this relationship, we are adopted into His family and
have all the resources that He has created and provided available to us as His
sons and daughters - we are joint heirs with Jesus (see Ephesians 1:15- 2:19,
3:6)!
From one perspective, rest may appear to be
refraining from activity. However, this
is not the full picture. This brings to mind the process of making homemade
yeast bread. The concept of rest actually gives rise to the reality of
activity, even though it may occur at a minimized level and may not be obvious
right away. The cook or baker labors to mix the proper ingredients in the
correct amounts together, then labors to knead the dough.
The dough is then allowed to "rest,"
unattended, untouched, usually rising to some degree, provided it has been
handled correctly and the environment is right. After a certain amount of time,
the recipe may call for punching the dough down and a second kneading before it
is set aside for the final rest and rising process prior to baking. During both
resting/rising times, the dough is sensitive and should not be disturbed - this
particular part of the process has its own set of practical applications, but I
shall not digress in that direction. However, feel free to chew on that one for
awhile if you want to.
The process of rising is active even though it is a part of the rest process. The
spiritual application to our lives is thus: The ingredients (God's word, prayer)
have been activated and are expanding - air (life) is being breathed into the
dough (us). Okay, I didn't intend to take the above-mentioned application
further, but find that I have to touch on it a bit: any loud or harsh movement
- vibration or shaking of the bread dough while it is resting, rising, or even
in the early stages of baking, disturbs
it and causes it to fall - the similarity here to us as Christians is that
Satan (our enemy) comes to try to disturb and disrupt our resting/rising &
baking process. We need to remain vigilant and on guard, although there are
plenty of times, we are "blind-sided" by stuff that he throws at us
or we slip or trip on stuff he subtly sneaks into our path.
So, what does it mean to labor to enter into His
rest? Can we really do this? Some may see this as conflicting, as contradictory,
as not making any sense. For a long time, I struggled to understand this
concept, this truth. But, in reality it is not a conflicting concept - this idea
of laboring to enter this rest or being active while at rest. This kind of rest
is a peace that passes understanding and only comes from having a personal
relationship with the Lord.
We actively live our lives through obedience to
God's Word. We repent when we are convicted. We forgive - both ourselves and
others. We love as God loves. We accept Godly correction and discipline as a
necessary part of our continued growth and maturity. We walk through the
difficult and hard places with assurance that Jesus is with us, knowing that He
can use all things for our good, and that He has a plan. We can be confident in
the fact that Jesus is our friend, our brother, our advocate, and is ever
interceding on our behalf. We rest in, rely on, and trust in the power of the
Holy Spirit to fill us, teach us, and reveal to us the Heart of our Father and
to empower us to accomplish all that God has for us to accomplish.
I now see and realize how labor and rest go hand in
hand in perfect agreement where God is concerned! I hope you can too....
I look forward to hearing from you. Please share your thoughts, comments, or feedback in response to this blog post or on any of my other blog posts.
