A Labor of Love
Ecclesiastes
Emmanuel Christian Church 8.31.25
INTRODUCTION: September 5th, 1882 - New York’s lower Manhattan
was the time and place for the first “Labor Day” parade. It was a chaotic
event that city officials feared might turn into a riot! Organized by Union
interests, the parade started with only a few hundred participants, but
ended with an estimated ten to twenty thousand marchers by the end of
the day!
As I thought about it, there are at least three reasons for celebrating
Labor Day. The first is a demonstration of political influence and power-
I’m fairly sure that was the primary reason behind the first Labor Day
parade. Second is the recognition of human achievement and the pride
of one’s own effort. And while these two reasons may have their place, it is
the third reason that I’d like for us to consider this morning:
Labor is A GIFT FROM GOD.
PROPOSITION: Our labor is bound up with God’s own nature, and His call
upon our lives. It has NEVER been a curse (although, like everything, it has
suffered a curse from the Fall). It IS a blessing and opportunity, as well as
an act of worship when we pursue it in submission to God’s will for our
lives.
Whistle while you work!
- Why? Because work is a gift from God!
- When God created mankind, He created us in- HIS OWN IMAGE.
- In practical terms, that means we share in God’s own attributes.
- Unlike any other part of God’s Creation, we alone have the ability to
think, imagine and create. Those are God’s own attributes that He
imparted to us- His crowing achievement in the Creation!
- When God created man, He placed him in the Garden TO WORK IT.
- Second only to fellowship with Himself, the ability and privilege to
work and create was God’s purpose for humankind.
Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of
Eden to work it and take care of it.
- Work was NEVER intended by God to be a burden, it only became
that way after our rebellion against His will.
Genesis 3:17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and
ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
APPLICATION: Fellowship with God and participation in His nature
through the blessing of work, answers the basic need of every one of us:
PURPOSE.
Why is it that so many people today seem to be struggling with their
mental health? I would propose that the answer lies in the fact that they
have become disconnected with their dual purposes in life: Fellowship
with God, and divinely directed labor.
Without those two things, there’s no reason to get out of bed in the
morning! On the other hand, with those in their proper place, work
becomes a God-given source of JOY.
Although it took him his entire life to come to that conclusion,
Solomon finally figured it out and wrote:
Ecclesiastes 2:10 “...My heart took DELIGHT in all my work, and this was
the REWARD for all my labor.”
TRANSITION: Let’s not forget one very important thing: it was God
Himself who invented work. It was God Himself who declared it to be
“Very Good!”. Given that fact, as we go to work, we need to allow His
Word to coach us in…
Workplace Safety
- Don’t be surprised by the fact that work is HARD.
- Time for a reality check!
Ecclesiastes 2:20 “...my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor
under the sun.”
- Remember, that’s NOT the way God originally intended it to be-
HOWEVER that is the way it is some days!
- The challenge before us involves refocusing our expectations for work
in light of the fallen nature of the world in which we live.
- It’s why God’s Word tells us:
1 Corinthians 15:58 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.
- Just so none of us are confused, as Christians, ALL OF OUR LABOR
(work, church, home) is “labor in the Lord”!
- Even though our labor can be hard at times, there are some real
benefits- even in the midst of the hardship:
- Working hard (especially when it’s no fun) can develop your personal
character. If you do it with the right attitude it can actually make you
a better person!
- Faithfulness in hard work also has the potential of making life
sweeter. It makes rest more restful and recreation more enjoyable.
- And here’s another benefit of faithfulness in hard work- you get to eat
regularly and sleep indoors!
- Work for the RIGHT reason.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from
man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the
wind.
- Envy, or “Keeping up with the Jonses” is a TERRIBLE reason for work!
- What we’re really talking about is materialism and selfishness- OUCH!
That’s not very pleasant to think about! Unfortunately, that might just
be one of the main reasons most people go to work!
- Here’s another reality check from God’s Word that ought to warn us
off making that mistake:
Ecclesiastes 5:15 Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he
comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in
his hand.
- So what are the RIGHT reasons for going to work? Great question! Let’s
hear the answer from God’s Word:
1 Thessalonians 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind
your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12
so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you
will not be dependent on anybody.
Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have
something to share with those in need.
- Balance WORK and RELATIONSHIPS
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of
this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun — all your
meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor
under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might…
- Some interesting observations about this text:
- In Solomon’s search for the purpose of life, he narrows it down to
just four things! In this present verse, he mentions two of them:
family (specifically the marriage relationship) and work.
- Not only do these two make the short list of life’s purpose, but the
order in which they appear seems significant was well- family first,
work second.
- Getting family first and work second in reverse order is a VERY
dangerous thing to do! Do that, and you might just destroy the one
while draining the other of all meaning and purpose.
- If you are always at work (doing it all for “the wife and kids”), only to
come home one day to an empty house- what good is that?
- Just a side note: So, if family and work are on the short list of the
four things God has as the purpose for our lives- what are the
other two? “Fear God and keep His commandments” - Now that’s
a weighty list to be sure!
- Having said all that, look at the tag at the end of that passage:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” This
simple, powerful statement leads me to one final important point:
- REMEMBER: Work is an ACT of WORSHIP
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving.
- As Christians, we should NEVER make the terrible mistake of thinking
life is made up of the SECULAR and the SACRED.
- The reality of life for the Christian is this- everything on our plate
touches! There is no part of our lives- thoughts or actions- that are
separate from our life in Christ. If there is a difference in our minds
between Sunday morning and Monday morning- we have fallen into a
dangerous mindset!
- Jesus said:
Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
THAT, sounds like a LABOR OF LOVE.