The global pandemic affected almost every one of us, and although the dire warnings of the disease were over, the effects of the pandemic were still being felt many months after health officials declared the crisis was over. All of this had an impact on the labor market.
At the peak of the pandemic, many restaurants and retail stores were forced to close. In businesses that continued to operate, employees often worked from home on their computers. Prior to COVID-19, most businesses had no problem filling vacancies when needed. However, after the pandemic ended, many employers struggled to find workers.
Signs reading “Help Wanted” were everywhere. In some restaurants, customers were greeted with signs that read: “Please be patient. We are short-staffed. Be grateful for those who are willing to work.” Several years later, this problem is still present. There are many reasons for this employment gap, but we won’t address them now. One thing is for sure, we live in a strange time when in some fields there are more job openings than there are people willing to fill them. When people have a system of financial security through government subsidies, they are less motivated to go back to work. In the Bible, in the Old Testament, in the Book of Proverbs 16:26, it is wisely said, “He who labors labors for himself, because his mouth compels him to do so.”
As this modern attitude toward work continues, we may need to create new methods to motivate people. One way is to reaffirm the old truth that it is important to find nobility in labor. If we serve as employers, bosses, or leaders, we must strive to ensure that our employees perceive and appreciate that nobility. Here are a few biblical principles to keep in mind:
Work was in God’s plan from the beginning. According to the biblical account of the creation of the world, after the Triune God created mankind “in Our image and in Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), His first instructions were for humans to labor. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and possess it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every animal that creepeth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb that sows seed, which is in all the earth, and every tree that has woody fruit that sows seed; to you [this] shall be for food…” (Genesis 1:28-29).
As a consequence of disobedience, labor became hard. All was well until Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result of their disobedience, which the Bible calls “sin,” was God’s declaration, “…cursed is the ground because of you; with sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the grass of the field; in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17- 19).
Work can be hard, but rewarding to work hard. To find nobility in our work, we must answer some important questions: “Why do we work?” and “Who do we ultimately serve?” The answers to these questions are found in Scripture in several places, including Colossians 3:17, 23-24. It says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, all [do] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through him to God and the Father…And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that in recompense from the Lord you will receive an inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Through our work, we serve our customers, our employers, and ultimately God. They all deserve our best treatment.
Copyright 2023, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from UBN Integrity Moments. Visit: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a ministry of faith in action for the international small business community.
Questions for reflection/discussion
- Since the pandemic, have you noticed a continuing shortage of workers in some areas: restaurants, retail establishments, even in vital occupations? What do you think are the reasons for this post-pandemic phenomenon?
- What comes to your mind when you read the phrase “nobility in work”? Do you agree that work is indeed noble, at least when it is done well and with the right motivation? Why yes or why no?
- The first chapter of the Book of Genesis teaches that God’s design for work was originally reflected in His creation of the earth, then the entire universe. He then assigned the responsibility to labor to men and women. How does or should thinking about this affect or influence our approach to work?
- How can we communicate and encourage the concept of the nobility of labor among our employees, colleagues, customers we encounter in the marketplace?
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 12:11, 14:23, 18:9, 22:29, 24:30-34; Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; 1 Corinthians 3:9