We recently celebrated Labor Day here in America. Labor Day weekend marks the end of the summer for most American’s. We look forward to the long weekend, a little respite from our busy lives. I’ve been thinking about the word “labor” in connection with our walk with Christ. I wanted to share those observations.

For years, I struggled with what I would call, “Treadmill Christianity.” I felt like I was always working to prove myself, earn my way, and most importantly, I didn’t want to mess up big enough where I could lose God’s love. I was on a treadmill of perfection, performance, and punishment. Does that sound familiar to anyone? But dear friends, that is not biblical. We can do nothing to add to what Christ did on the cross. Our salvation is not a math problem—Christ’s blood + My works = Forgiveness. Labor is a cage. It keeps you focused on the negative, keeping you trapped under the weight of your own lawlessness. The blood of Christ freed you from the bondage of your sin. You cannot work to acquire it, nor will your work add any additional value to it.

I have spoken of my dad before in this blog. My dad was a pastor, a man of incredible intelligence. He read all the great authors of theology. He understood so much about the bible, yet he was living in complete darkness. He was one man to the public, a gifted speaker, a counselor, and friend. But inside, he was a man of selfishness; he did not conform his heart to God, he lived for himself. We will all find ourselves someday standing before Elohim, the creator of the universe. With that in mind, who should we be living for?

I believe it all comes down to the heart. Jesus called out the Pharisees because they labored for approval from men, not because their hearts were devoted to God.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28

Jesus spoke about the importance of the heart in His Sermon on the Mount,

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23

It is easy for me to find myself consumed by all the tasks that I need to accomplish. I work full-time, I have a home and there is always something that needs to be done. I teach at church. I attend our women’s bible study. I have family that needs my attention. I am learning to crochet. I write a blog. All of these things are tasks and they do matter. God sees how I spend my time, where I place my value, and what I am striving for. But none of these things impact my standing with God. I am His, a child of God. I have given my heart to Christ and His Spirit dwells within me. The work that I do in this life is a reflection of how He has changed my heart and how He is molding me each day to be more like Christ. When I stand before Him in Glory, all that will matter is that I trusted in Him and I labored each day to submit to His word. Our labor matters to God, but our labor does not add to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. It is the outward sign of our inward change, by the power of the Holy Spirit. I will leave you with the Apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians,

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58