Your Daily Slice

Elul 15

Labor

“…but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good …” (Eph 4:28 ISR)

We have managed - I am estimating – in the last 25 years, to raise up a generation that believe they are entitled to anything and everything, without having to work for it.  They believe and demand that they have a right to food, shelter, clothing, and even modern amenities such as cell phones, expensive cars, even jewelry, and we, the tax-payers, are to provide this for them.  Honest work ethics are a thing of the past, and rare it is when an employer is able to find that employee that is not only willing to work, but do so without murmuring, complaining, and arguing with every work related directive.

‘Work’ began with Elohim, with His ‘work of creating’ (see Gen 2:2-3).  We are further told that man was placed within the Garden of Eden to ‘work’ it, and to guard it (Gen 2:15).  Within the wording of the Ten Words (Ten Commandments), we find instructions concerning the Sabbath, in that we have six days to do all of our ‘work’, but the seventh day was to be set-apart, with no ‘work’ being done (Ex 20:9-10).  As children of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we have certain feast days where again, we are instructed to do ‘no work’ (see Num 28 and 29).  The Apostle Paul gave us plain instructions that could be equated to Elohim’s welfare system: “If anyone does not wish to work, neither let him eat” (2The 3:10), which is basically telling us that there are no handouts for those who are lazy.  Paul himself worked with his hands – the speculation is that he was a tentmaker – and we also know that our Messiah was a carpenter.  With these examples before us, we can surmise that work is not an option; it is a command.

I perceive that it is a form of pride that influences people to believe that they don’t have to work for what they receive.  To ‘entitle’ someone is to give that person a right, or a claim, to something.  And that in itself is not a bad thing; we are all entitled to be treated with basic decency and respect.  However, to just hand over the ‘right’ to continuous, never-ending benefits without the individual having to put forth any effort to receive said benefits, is a recipe for disaster, as is evident by the amount our government spends annually on welfare programs.  Am I against said programs?  No, I am not, for many years ago I and my children were in such a place that we were the recipients of these benefits.  Nonetheless, it was not a place where we camped permanently.

As we sit in the middle of this month of Elul, can we look – honestly and openly – at the how we give our labor to our employers?  Are we thankful that we even have a job?  Are we the best employee that the company has?  Are we performing all of our duties to the best of our ability?  Are we going above and beyond what is expected of us?  And when we look at management, are we seeing our Messiah Yeshua as the One who ultimately signs our paychecks?

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, AS TO THE MASTER and not to men, knowing that from the Master you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Master, Messiah, you serve.” (Gal 3:23-24 ISR, emphasis mine)

“But we call upon you, brothers, that you do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to live peaceably, and to attend to your own, and TO WORK WITH YOUR OWN HANDS, as we commanded you, so that you behave decently toward those who are outside, and not be in any need.” (1The 4:10-12 ISR, emphasis mine)

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