Celebrating Labor Day: “Work as a Calling from God”
Dear Briarwood Christian School Families,
As we approach Labor Day, I want to take a moment to reflect on what this holiday represents and, more importantly, what God's Word teaches us about work.
Labor Day was established as a national holiday in 1894 to recognize the contributions and achievements of American workers. While it often marks the unofficial end of summer—a long weekend with family, football, and a welcome break from our regular routines—it also gives us an opportunity to remember the value and dignity of work.
For Christians, our understanding of work begins long before Labor Day. It begins with God Himself. In Genesis, we see God create the heavens and the earth, and then place Adam in the garden "to work it and take care of it." Work was part of God's good design for humanity before the Fall. Although sin made work difficult, it did not make work meaningless. Work remains one of the ways God allows us to use the gifts and abilities He has entrusted to us to serve others and bring Him glory.
Paul captures this beautifully in Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
Notice Paul's words: "Whatever you do." He doesn't limit this principle to pastors, missionaries, teachers, or other traditionally "Christian" professions. Whatever God calls us to do—whether in a classroom, an office, a business, a hospital, a home, a workshop, or on a playing field—we are called to work wholeheartedly because ultimately, we are working for the Lord.
This truth connects directly to the mission of Briarwood Christian School. We exist to provide a Christ-centered, transformational education that equips and inspires each student to glorify God by maximizing their God-given abilities.
Our goal is not simply to prepare students to get a good job. We want to prepare them to understand that maximizing their God-given abilities to advance the kingdom is part of God’s calling for them. The abilities, interests, talents, and opportunities God gives each student are gifts to be stewarded for His glory.
That is why we want our students to become excellent students, diligent workers, servant-hearted leaders, and faithful followers of Christ. Whether God calls a Briarwood graduate to be a physician, engineer, teacher, business leader, artist, tradesman, military officer, homemaker, pastor, entrepreneur, or something else entirely, our prayer is that they will approach their work with the attitude Paul describes in Colossians 3:23: "working for the Lord."
As you enjoy this Labor Day weekend with your family, I encourage you to take a moment to thank God for the gift of work and for those people whose work blesses your family and our community. Also, let’s take a moment to talk with our children about how God views our work and how they view their God-given abilities.
Have a wonderful, safe, and restful Labor Day weekend.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." — Colossians 3:23
GO Lions,
Dr. John Patterson
Chief Advancement Officer, Briarwood Christian School