Our text for this week is Ephesians 4:28:
“Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15 KJV) is one of the Ten Commandments that was to be the foundation of God’s standard for righteousness, or the right way that we should live. Stealing is contrary to the nature of God because it is in basic conflict with justice and fairness. The counterpoint to stealing is laboring not only for what we have, but also to be able to give to those in need.
As we have covered previously, man was created to have fellowship with God, and to cultivate the garden and rule over it. We might basically say that we were created for fellowship and labor. It is therefore understandable why studies have revealed that anyone who is not engaged in meaningful labor is likely to go insane. We were created to have meaningful labor in our life and if that is denied it will affect the very core of our identity as human beings.
We might also carry this a little further and consider that it is only to the degree that we are engaged in meaningful labor that we can be fulfilled and at peace within ourselves. The ultimate and most meaningful labor is that which we do in ministry, performing our functions as members of the body of Christ.
We must also consider that “meaningful” does not necessarily imply that it is labor we enjoy or want to do. Our fulfillment does not always come from the task itself, but knowing that we have accomplished something that needs to be done. Even so, the curse that came upon man after the fall was “toil,” which is labor accomplished “with great or painful effort.” The curse was not labor, but labor that was unnecessarily difficult for the results produced. Many who faithfully labor for their means are still under this curse, having to labor far too much for the results achieved. One of the benefits achieved for us by the cross of Jesus was the removal of every curse including the curse of toil. How is this achieved?
We might tend to think that this will be achieved by getting a better job, more pay for our jobs, etc., but that is not necessarily so. When I first became a Christian I took a construction job that was pure drudgery. Not only was it hard labor, it was dirty, hot, and paid very little at first as I was just a common laborer. Then I decided to do my job as unto the Lord, considering that everything I was involved in building was for the Lord Himself to occupy. Very soon my job became so fulfilling that I could not wait to get to the job each morning. I also became known for having an uncommon devotion to excellence in every job that I was given. This caused my employers to invest in my training, helping me advance and receive faster than normal promotions. In less than two years I was paid as a full journeyman carpenter. This was a non-union job, but the company I was working for had never advanced anyone this far in less than four years, and it often took six. I was not better or smarter than the others, but I advanced because of my attitude. Even more importantly, I lived with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and fulfillment from my job.
Our goal should not be to remove the labor, but to remove the curse that is on it so our labor is productive and fulfilling. The most basic way to do this is by turning every task into worship, doing everything as unto the Lord. Another way that the curse is removed may surprise us.
Most people go to work to provide for themselves and their families. This is certainly a good reason for labor, but it is not the one that we are exhorted to have in our verse for this week. We are told to labor in order to have something to share with those who have need. That is Christian love. Helping others is actually one of the most fulfilling things that we can do, and is the reason why so many who do not even know the Lord become philanthropists—there is a remarkable satisfaction in giving.
There are some who cannot labor. The Lord also said that we would have the poor with us always. There are certainly some who are poor because of laziness or irresponsibility, but most of the world’s poor are simply born into conditions that make anything but a life of poverty nearly impossible. James also said that God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith (James 2:5). We should never look down on the poor, but rather consider it an honor and privilege to serve those who are called to be rich in faith.
We must also consider that many of the jobs that are the least esteemed, such as being a housewife and mother devoted to home and raising children, are some of the most important jobs on earth. Every mother in Christ is a “queen mother,” and given the unfathomable honor of raising the future kings and queens who will rule over the earth. What could be more important than that? They may not derive a direct wage for this task, but who could ever put a value on it? Why would anyone want to give that position up for a mere earthly profession? I am certainly not against women having professions, but we must always keep the first things first, and our jobs as parents are a much greater honor, responsibility, and can be much more fulfilling, than any other job we can have.
We must always remember that the true purpose for our labor is to be a blessing to others. When our job is done for this reason it will cease to be toil and become a glorious and fulfilling act of worship.