"Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with you," declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God," Hag. 1:13-14
Growing up, Labor Day always meant one thing for me: actual Labor! Every year for Labor Day my Dad and I would get up early and head over to my Grandfather’s church for the Labor Day fall cleanup extravaganza. Getting an early start was essential to ensuring everything was accomplished with time enough to spare for the huge picnic spread my Grandma, Mom, and Aunts would layout for lunch. At first the task list would seem insurmountable, but as the morning wore on people would start to arrive and pitch in. It was amazing to see how many church members would show up to help with the cleaning, painting, landscaping, etc. Once my Uncle and cousins showed up, it was questionable whether or not the work would be accomplished much quicker (my cousins and I being more interested in what was going on in the kitchen than our assigned duties). Yet, by the end of the day, everything would be done, the food would be gone, and the church would be set for another year.
Why would people give up their day off (one of only 11 Federal Holidays) to come and work for free on a building they spent maybe 3 or 4 hours of their time at a week? Why would chores which were consistently blown off at home be volunteered for here? My Grandfather, I’m sure, attributed it to his commanding presence in the pulpit. My Grandma, probably ascribed the willing appearance of volunteers to her magnificent cooking and homemade apple pies (Prov. 16:26 lends weight to that theory at least). I, for my part, certainly harbored delusions that the prospect of a day in my amazing company was enough to entice an army of workers to any task.
My Dad, I think, knew the real reason for the Labor Day turn-out: God. He explained to me that throughout the Bible, the virtue of work is extolled, not as a route to salvation, but rather as a reflection of personal values and commitment. To do God’s work involved more than just evangelizing or serving in one of the “traditional” church jobs, it involved day to day tasks; the mundane work of living. In that respect, working to clean up the church and its grounds on Labor Day was a natural extension of working for God at a normal job. In joyful labor, we can both serve God and receive his blessing, and so, those that came each year to the Labor Day cleanup came not only for the picnic or to avoid the guilt trip of not attending, they came to do God’s work in the most ordinary of settings, and be blessed by that work in the most extraordinary of ways.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." 1 Cor. 11:4-6
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Cor. 15:58
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Col. 3:23-24
