This Labor Day dawns at a difficult time for the working person. Unemployment is at a 25-year high in Alabama and the nation. Alabama’s latest numbers indicate more than one out of every 10 workers is unemployed. The 10.2 percent translates into more than 215,000 people out of work.
Nationally the picture is only slightly better. In July, unemployment fell from 9.5 percent to 9.4 percent. Both are near the modern-day high of 9.7 percent set in 1982.
For most who have jobs, wages are stagnant. Many have taken cuts in pay just to keep a job. Some jobs actually pay less now than they did a few years ago despite the rise in the minimum wage. That is one reason the cost of living figures show a slight dip this year. That is not good for Social Security recipients who will see that dip reflected in next year’s income.
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve System, recently joined a growing number of economic forecasters who say this “Great Recession” is coming to an end. However, the economic forecasters warn that the recovery will be long and slow. Some say it is likely to be another jobless recovery much like the one at the beginning of this decade.
It certainly is a challenging time for labor.
Working people also face another issue, which has more long-term consequences than today’s temporary downturn in the economy. It is a problem found in corporate offices as well as assembly lines, in secular vocations as well as in the Church. It is a problem related to one’s attitude toward work.
The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” In verse 17, the apostle said, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” His was a call to excellence, recognizing that how one did one’s work reflected one’s attitude toward God.
This was not a new teaching. The writer of Ecclesiastes had counseled in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might.” The reason? Because God has given you the season of life to enjoy whether it be “activity or planning or wisdom.”
Without being overly romantic about bygone days, it is safe to say there was a time when this biblical guidance provided a baseline of expectations regarding work. There was pride in what one contributed whether a product or service. There was value in productivity. Work had dignity. The quality of one’s work was expected to be excellent. After all, it was done “as unto the Lord.” Worker, manager, owner — all were expected to contribute to the community through their labor.
Today all of that has been called into question. Today’s attitude toward work very often is based on adequacy, not excellence. Instead of asking, “How can I contribute through my job?,” many are asking, “How little can I do and keep my job?”
The concept of contributing to society, a company or even co-workers through one’s job is practically a lost ideal. More common is the notion that work is an inconvenience or drudgery. For many, a job is merely a means to an end. A job is something one must do to get the things one wants.
With such an attitude, is it any wonder that a large percentage of workers are disgruntled with their vocations?
When one’s view of work is so inwardly focused, is it any wonder that the idea of working “with all your might” or “as unto the Lord” takes a back seat?
The American automobile industry provides an unfortunate example of excellence giving way to adequacy. Fifty years ago, Detroit was the world’s standard for cars. But management and labor, together with stockholders, chose adequacy over excellence, quantity over quality, repetition over innovation. The end was loss of market share and eventual bankruptcy.
All the partners learned the bitter lesson that adequacy — How little can I do and keep my job? — has destructive ends for everyone. Such an attitude is based in selfishness and selfishness leads to ruin. The Bible is clear on that point and society affirms that teaching. Just look at Enron, WorldCom, Bernard Madoff, HealthSouth and endless other examples.
Now a repentant and rededicated American auto industry is emerging. One of the values of this resurrection, at least according to its promotion, is excellence — people taking pride in what they do, people making a contribution to others.
What is happening in the auto industry is happening in many other places. A television commercial appeals to the consumer’s emerging demand for excellence by promising to help one find the “super” performer. Of course, the “super” performer is one who takes pride in his or her work, who makes a contribution through the product or service provided.
Perhaps the economic downturn has provided a filter that brought the struggle between excellence and adequacy into perspective. Job counselors urge employees to demonstrate their value to the company. Certainly an employee who strives for excellence in every way is more desirable than one who asks, “How little can I do and keep my job?”
Perhaps it is recognition of the fact that selfishness, even at work, only contributes to the splintering of relationships and isolation from others.
Perhaps it is the re-emergence of personal integrity through which individuals demonstrate honesty and reliability with those with whom they work, whether laborer, manager or owner.
Whatever the reason, Paul’s admonition to do one’s work “as unto the Lord” remains. For the Christian, that is the baseline of performance, because how we do our work does reflect our relationship with our Savior. How we do our work — whether it is to build up through contributing to community or to tear down through selfishness — reveals who we are as individuals, the type community we are building and our approach to God.
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