Summer is nearing it transition to Fall as this Labor Day signals a day of rest from our labors and a day to celebrate, to enjoy the fruit of our labors! Stepping back and taking a look at what we have done with our lives and labors is a good thing. Even God -- after 6 days of working to create the entire universe and all the life therein -- stepped back a bit and said: "It is very good!"
God worked for 6 days and on the 7th, He rested; and that day was "Holy on to the Lord." But 6 is not a complete number; but 7 is a complete Biblical number. Why did not God work for 7 days and then rest on the 8th day? God was sending us a big message by working only those 6 days: He was saying that His work was NOT complete; but that we were suppose to complete His creation by our work! God could have made the garden for Adam and Eve that would be self sufficient and need no tending; but God wanted Adam and Eve to complete the Garden by tending it! Get the Picture!
Our Sundays use to be in this country a day of rest: but not any more. Mega stores are open..banks are open...we received business calls on Sunday! Why is this? God has been replaced by the god of money..and greed. "Time is money: is the bible of the the business world. I do not even buy gas on Sunday...I do nothing of work on Sunday...nor do I patronize any business. ..except for hospitals and pharmasies. Sunday is a day of rest, Holy onto the Lord; a day of prayer and of rest and enjoyment -- recreation -- from a week of Labor. So, today is Labor Day..a kind of national Sabbath! We have Thanksgiving Day to Thank God; and we have Labor Day to thank God for the productivity of work..and to enjoy the fruit of our labors. Let us Celebrate this Day with deep appreciation for the loving gift of Work..and all its fruits and satisifactsion.
Additionally, therefore, to work is to really immitate God! Even Jes
us said it all: :"My Father works and I work!" And why does God work? Why does God create? The answer lies in the ancient Latin Proverb: "Bonum est diffusivum sui." "Goodness has a tendancy to go out of itself." There is Joy in work. Even God enjoyed creating all the stars and planets, the oceans and all that is contained in them; all the birds of the air and especially Humankind..made in the very image and likeness of God. We can know and love..and even create! Our fulfillment comes from our work..as we develop our talents so we can benefit others as well as our selves.
Not to use our talents by working is an evil thing. The parable of the Land-owner who gave five talents to one man and two talents to another and one ta talent to a third illustrates how God looks upon the use of our talents and our benefiting others thereby. To the man with five talents who gained five more, the Land owner said: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You shall be over ten towns!" Like to the servant who had gained two more talents, the Landowner said, "Well, done good and faithful servant. You shall be put over two towns." But to the unprofitable servant who had hidden his talent in the ground, the Land owner said, "You wicket and lazy servant...should you have not at least deposited the money with the bankers and received interest? Take away the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten! Because to him who has will be given more. And from him who has not, even the little he has will be taken away!" We call this today: "Use it or lose it!" It seems this parable shows that God is quite servere with those who do nothing with the talents they are given.
What talents do you have? If you can smile, you can visit the sick and smile at them. There is a lovely movie called Pollyanna who comes to a very unhappy community/town called Harringon. Pollyanna did not seem to have any really great talents..if any...but what she did possess was a game called "finding something to be glad about!" With this game, she transformed the entire town that even changed the name of the town to "Herriton, the Glad Town!" She 823 glad verses in the Bible that has to do with joy and happiness. She also showed ger locket that had this verse from Abaraham Lincoln: "If you look for the bad in people, you will surely find it!" With these little bits of wisdom, she totally reformed the ministre from fire and brimstone preacher to a spreader of joy and peace and gladness!
Yes, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!"
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