Keep On Moving

I was part of a generation that embraced going to university at a level that seemed unprecedented.  Part of the drive was to "work smarter, not harder," to work with their brains rather than with their hands.  The chances of embarking on a more lucrative career seemed more certain by earning a bachelor's degree, and tertiary education in university seems more widespread, expected and even required than ever before.  While there are benefits to earning degrees that prepare people for vocations and industries, having a degree is no guarantee of being industrious or having a strong work ethic.  Character and integrity are not donned as easily as a cap and gown.

In the book of Ruth, the readers can observe a young widow of godly character with an inspirational drive to work.  From morning until evening, she gleaned barley in the field of Boaz to provide food for her mother-in-law Naomi and herself.  In the Law of Moses, God bestowed dignity on the stranger, poor, widow and fatherless on the freedom to work and obtain food for themselves.  In our day when "hard work" seems to be two four-letter words that are more offensive to modern sensibilities than vulgar expletives, it is good for Christians to gladly embrace this dignified effort in every honest form.

Believe it or not, the ability to do profitable labour is a gift of God as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:18-19:  "Here is what I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. ¹⁹ As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God."  Work is not a consequence of sin entering the world, for Adam was tasked by God to tend the Garden of Eden before the fall.  To refuse to work is a rejection of our God-given heritage and calling, and by His grace we can be personally enriched by our exertions.  Paul viewed work as a matter of the will, for anyone who would not work could also forgo eating (2 Thess. 3:10).  To view retirement from paid employment as justification to cease from labour is out of step with the heritage God has given us, for God is faithful to open new avenues of labour for His sake.

In addition to Paul example of working with his hands to support his Gospel efforts, he provided exhortations in Ephesians 6:5-9 for God-fearing employees and business owners alike:  "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. ⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."  Our work is to be done knowing Jesus Christ is our Master who causes us and others to profit by our faithful labour.  Should a day come we cannot do physical or menial work as we did before, let us continue to be active in loving and serving others however we can.  The most general definition of work is to move, and may we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as He does His work in and through us by His grace.