Labor Day reminds us to honor those who
work for their efforts. Tomorrow most folks – not all – get a paid day off to
celebrate their willingness to go to work every other day they are required and
provide for their families while creating products or performing services we
all need and want.
Roger’s one of those guys who doesn’t
get tomorrow off. He’ll be at the communications center and will dispatch
others who don’t get Labor Day off to meet the need for law enforcement, fire
departments, ambulance services, and related issues.
Even those of us who are lucky enough
to have the day off will very likely still engage in some kind of work. There
are always chores, projects, and responsibilities to be completed.
Having a job is a blessing. Not all
are employed and some are despairing to find work. We remember them this
weekend as well.
When you have a job you love – as I am
so blessed – it’s not a struggle to go to work. Finding joy in my career is
something I try to never take for granted. I know people who hate their jobs
and go to work only to get the paycheck to meet their basic needs for food,
clothing, and shelter.
Then there are those who have jobs we
need to have done yet are so very grateful not to have to do ourselves.
Roto-Router comes to mind! We all have to do dirty jobs sometimes - jobs resulting
in our clothes, shoes, skin, hair, and nooks and crannies of our body being
filled with some kind of dirt, muck, mud, or other unmentionable goo.
Sometimes the dirt is figurative and
the job is one covering us in emotional goo which is equally hard to scrub
away. These jobs are conversations about accountability, right, wrong,
emotional pain, mistakes, and, hopefully, forgiveness.
There are not a lot of television
shows I truly enjoy. My must-watch list is short and, honestly, the time I have
for watching is just as short. One show I do enjoy is Dirty Jobs with Mike
Rowe. It’s on the Discovery Channel. Have you seen it?
Mike travels the country – and world -
working as an apprentice on jobs most people would go out of their way to
avoid. His mission is celebrating the hard-working Americans who make civilized
life possible for the rest of us.
No matter what the job is – the
dirtier the better – Mike jumps in and does the work. Yes, it’s entertainment.
More so, it’s a lesson in humility, appreciation for those who do jobs we would
do anything to avoid. In the description of the show on the Discovery Channel
website, it says, “In fact, the notion of depicting hard work as noble and fun
is central to his personal mission. On Labor Day 2008, Mike launched a Web site
called mikeroweWORKS.com, where skilled labor and hard work are celebrated in
the hope of calling attention to the steady decline in the trades and
bolstering enrollment in trade schools and technical colleges.”
So Dirty Jobs is a calling for Mike –
a mission to honor those whose work is hard and, yes, dirty.
How about your jobs?
I know many of you are retired. I know
you still have jobs to do. Some of you are in school. And getting your
education is your job. Among us there are communications workers, grant
writers, farmers, teachers, nurses, physical therapists, health care aides,
moms, mechanics, tire guys, accounting staff, secretaries, entrepreneurs, truck
drivers, sales people, and so much more.
And no matter how much you love your
job, as I do, I’m sure there are days when it’s hard to go to work. When
circumstances outside your control crush in on you and create unrest and
unease.
So what does the Bible say about how
we are to approach our labors? Our scripture lessons today hold clues to help
us all no matter what our job is.
In his letter to the church at
Thessalonica, Paul reminds them of the example he and his fellow workers for
the cause of Christ set. They worked for their food and lodging. They were
intentional about not being a burden to anyone. They wanted others to see their
work ethic and make it their own. Paul knew there were believers who didn’t
share their ambition, warning the people at Thessalonica to be wary of those
who were idle.
Our reading from 2 Thessalonians closes
with this encouragement from Paul: And as for you, brothers and sisters, never
tire of doing what is good.
Never tire of doing what is good.
My Mom is 81 and just moved to
Alburnett so she can be near Guy and his family in their new home. She’s settling
into her new home and already finding her time filled with serving her family
in their new locale. She’s making rolls and cookies for them to enjoy and
share. She’s making meals for them. And she’s there to attend school
activities, worship, and community events, too.
Like her, I hope I never tire of doing
what is good. Her mission is to be close to her granddaughters as they mark the
milestones of their education and enjoy success in their activities.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether
you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV)
For Mom, her job is to support her
family. Her mission is joyful and full of love. For others, whose work is
drudgery, Paul’s note to the church at Corinth holds a clue on how to change
the attitude of your heart so the drudgery becomes purpose. Do all to the glory
of God. How much more meaningful does the gross job become when you look at it
through the lens of God’s glory.
Last Sunday during lunch, Pastor asked
me what I was going to preach on this morning. I gave her the thumbnail sketch.
She sat back and said, “During seminary, at my internship, my first job in the
church was to unclog the upstairs toilet.”
She remembered the occasion with humor
now, but, certainly didn’t find the joy in this job when it was given to her!
We all are faced with clogged toilets, plugged drains, overflowing washing
machines, and screeching dryers from time to time. Paul gives us perspective on
how to handle these nuisances. Do it to the glory of God. Remember in your
service to your family in fixing these messes, you honor Him who gives you
blessings too numerous to count.
Thankfully, we don’t need to worry
about being equipped to handle these crises on our own. We are given all the
tools we need by our Loving Lord who sends the skills, the people, the ideas,
and the abilities we need to succeed.
In Philippians 4:13 it says, “I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
How do we access this supernatural
power? Through prayer.
I am a fixer. Not a fixer-upper or a
flipper of houses or a medical professional. But I want to fix the problems in
my life, my family’s life, my friend’s lives… I’m wired to find answers, do the
work, or whatever it takes to restore peace, wholeness, and joy to the lives of
those I love.
Yet I have learned my desire to fix is
not always the right thing for the situation. When I take the problem to Jesus
in prayer, I often discover my role is to be a supporter, not the solution. I
am to listen and be present, but not do. And the only way to know what you are
called to do – what your job is – is to be in constant communication with our
Creator.
This summer, I learned a new catch
phrase among our youth. “You got this.” It’s encouragement for teams on the
ball diamond. It’s support for those exhibiting projects at the fair. It’s
uplifting and promotes self-confidence.
Yet what really gives me confidence is
to know “God’s got this.”
I must always do my best, dedicating
all my work to His glory. Then with faith and trust, know He’s got this and I
don’t need to worry. No matter how dirty the job is - literally or figuratively – God will
provide all that’s needed.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you
do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human
masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
This is encouragement beyond comprehension.
We will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward when we work at our
jobs – whatever they might be – with all our hearts. He celebrates when he sees
us toiling with smiles on our faces, knowing we are working to please Him. Not
only do we accomplish the necessary task, we bring God glory in the process.
My life verse is Zephaniah 3:17 which
says, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with
singing.”
I picture this when I’m doing a job I
don’t particularly like – something like house cleaning – and picture the Lord
with me. He delights in me when I honor Him. He will quiet my anxious heart.
And, gloriously, He will rejoice over me with singing. Isn’t it an amazing
assurance of our place as loved, cherished children of the most high God?
In all this talk of jobs, work, and
dirt, we can’t forget what’s most important. Today’s Gospel lesson from John
reminds us when it said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that
endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the
Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Amen.
(C) Ann Trimble-Ray 2012