×

Labor Day Helps Us to Learn about our Culture and our Need for the Gospel

Labor Statue on Omaha's Riverfront

Here in the US we celebrated (or perhaps better observed) Labor Day yesterday. This is a day that recognizes the importance of the American workforce. Traditionally, it has been a chance to identify and honor the priority of trade and labor organizations and their impact on us as a country. Now it is one last chance to have a cookout, vacation, or take a rest before the autumn season. Further, it has come to mark the beginning of college and professional football.

IDENTIFY COMMUNITY IDOLS
As Christians I think that it’s incumbent upon us to be looking for the idols in the land and how to answer them with the gospel. As a pastor I am continually burdened and provoked with a desire to see my city and world transformed by a movement of the gospel. In order for this to happen idols have to be exposed and Christ’s value needs to be seen.

In Tim Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods he exhorts us to identify, destroy and replace these idols. I submit that labor is one of these idols. Even here in my city, Omaha, we have statues to labor as ornaments on our riverfront.

Labor, or work, is not in and of itself bad. Lest we forget, God instituted work in a pre-Fall Eden (Gen. 2.15). Work is a means of grace. It is a way for creation to rightly magnify and enjoy our Creator. In working with a mind and eye towards the goodness of God, his provision, and his rule over us, we are satisfied with the providence of God. We were to smile upon work because in it God is smiling upon his creation.

Sadly, work often becomes the expression of hunger rather than satisfaction. As a country we are working more and more. Dads work more to provide more. Moms work more to get more. Then the time at home is spent with Blackberry or laptop nearby so that in the event of an emergency, work could get done. We never stop. We are never satisfied.

Another Shot from the Missouri River in Omaha

It makes sense then that the mindset of work would pervade our spiritual understanding. We work hard to attain the favor of others and personal happiness, so why not with God? If he is our moral boss then we can work hard for him and hopefully he can reward us with some benefits.

ANSWER: GOSPEL
But this shows how countercultural the gospel is. As God Jesus puts on flesh and lives a perfect life that we could never (and would never) live. He works for us. He works because we can’t work. And further, he goes to the cross to pay the penalty for our dereliction of duty. We fail to love, serve, and honor God. We fail to be satisfied in him alone. We fail to obey him perfectly. We earn the paycheck of death, wrath, and judgment. It is this curse that Jesus bears upon the cross. He earns righteousness and he bears wrath. He works for us.

Labor is a big deal to us. It is a big deal to God. Working is intended to produce satisfied delight in a good and loving God. Instead we make it an idol. It replaces God. A good thing becomes a great thing and God is eclipsed by the desires of self. But God, through the gospel, comes to free us from ourselves and our enslavements. We are freed to restfully work with thanksgiving, joy, and delight in Jesus who worked for us.

This is worth celebrating!

………………………

Here is a video from Keller on his book Counterfeit Gods. I find him very helpful.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEtdMKjohR8&feature]

LOAD MORE
Loading