Labor (Day) of Love

Last updated on: September 4, 2015 at 6:34 pm by Dwight Lee Wolter

3 Comments

Labor (Day) of Love 2015-09-04T18:34:55+00:00 Dwight Lee Wolter

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“It is not doing the thing which we like to do, but liking to do the thing which we have to do, that makes the difference.” — Goethe

Can you tell the difference between canned soup and homemade soup? The difference is, in part, the love (or lack of it) that goes into creation of the soup. Even vegetarians know of the alleged therapeutic value of homemade chicken soul to “cure” the common cold. The therapeutic value of homemade soup “proves” that the attitude we have toward our work change the results of our work. If you see your job (from making soup to driving a truck) as a labor of love, then love will be a part of the result. And a job done with love will often result in a more loving and lovable worker.

But many people dislike their jobs (duh!). The writer of Ecclesiastes said with exasperation*,“Utterly meaningless! Everything meaningless!… My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor… I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun…”* Many people feel the answer to hating your job is to get a new one. Perhaps. Another option is to look first for sacredness and vitality in your present occupation. Truck drivers, waiters, surgeons, carpenters, makers of soup ~ all can be doing God’s work. The Apostle Paul was a tent-maker. Jesus was a carpenter. Albert Schweitzer was a physician. You may be a stay-at-home Mom. All of these “jobs” may rewards you spiritually, if not financially. The writer, Goethe, states, “It is not doing the thing which we like to do, but liking to do the thing which we have to do, that makes the difference.”

People often feel “stuck” for years in a job that pays okay but is not spiritually rewarding. They stay for pretty obvious reasons, such as feeding the kids and having access to health insurance. But even in such circumstances, a good bottom line and beginning point with which to begin each work day is asking, “How may I be useful? What will make me feel spiritually rewarded? What am I willing to do to assure that my contributions will be beneficial to others?”

But no job needs to be completely unfulfilling if you cultivate a spiritual perspective on all that you do. Whatever you do for a job can be part of fulfilling a ministry. Many people I know have searched diligently for meaning and spirituality in such things as digging ditches,and have found little or none. So they cultivated a fulfilling service in volunteering as such “ministry” as hospital volunteer, hospice worker, advocate for homeless persons, and answering phones at a domestic violence hotline. A good starting place for each day is asking, “How may I be of use? What am I willing to do to make my life more spiritually rewarding? What am I willing to do to make the world a slightly better place as a result of my having been here?” Happy Labor Day of Love!

Dwight Lee Wolter is the pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue on Long Island, New York. He blogs at dwightleewolter.com

Image: Shutterstock.com

Previous Post

August 28, 2015

13 Simple Ideas for Becoming Human Again

Next Post

September 14, 2015 Why Progressive Christians Should Pray

Recent Comments

3 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Author Interviews Battle Over the Body and Blood of Christ Bearing Beauty Book Reviews Christian Education christian spirituallity christianity Christmas Church Church Leadership Contemplation Creation Care Death and Dying Death Penalty Disruptive Change Disruptors Series Easter Education Evolution and Faith Future of Progressive Christianity Gun Violence Health & Wellness Holy Week Interfaith Israel-Palestine Leading Differently Lent LGBTQ Living with Cancer Meditations on the Cross Mental Illness millennials Mimetic Mondays Monday Meditations Movie Reviews New Monasticism Pando Populus Parenting Patheos 10+1 Q&A Series PC(USA) Politics Pop Culture Practical Theology Series Prayer progressive christian Race Relations Reformation religion Religion and Politics Religion in America Rethink Church Social Justice Spirituality Spirituality of the Body Stump a Scholar Technology and Faith Thanksgiving Theodicy Trust Me Church Uncategorized Why I'm Still Christian Youth Ministry

Select a Month December 2025 April 2025 January 2025 September 2023 September 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to 1 Peter, what does love do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Covers over a multitude of sins Never fails Casts out fear Bears all things