1. We labor so we can eat. (Psalms 128:2 “You shall eat the labor of your hands.”)

It is not right to eat and let others labor for you, unless you really can’t work. Most

people can do something.(“If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”)

2. Labor brings profit. (Proverbs 14:23 “In all labor, there is profit.” Labor profits in

money, exercise, helping others , feeling useful, cleaning up, etc. etc. All labor is

profitable. God didn’t make this verse up. Think of your labor and its profit. You will

feel better about yourself.

3. You may reap where you didn’t labor. Then you will join in on the labor. (“Reap

that whereon you bestowed no labor, but you will enter into the labour.” John 4:38)

It could be a mission trip, where the missionary harvests the souls that the people

bring in to hear the message of salvation, it could be physically like custom cutters,

who harvest the wheat on the wheat fields of Montana, or a traveling evangelist,

who bring in the souls to harvest from the hard labor of the

4. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye

steadfast unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye

know that your labour Is not in vain in the Lord. “ 1 Cor. 15:58) To labor for God is

never in vain whether it’s giving a drink of water to someone who is thirsty, teaching

a Sunday School class, or being a television evangelist. Remember that and don’t

forget it! Be unmovable in working for the Lord. Don’t let anyone make you feel

bad or insignificant in working for God.

5. Your labor of love will be not be forgotten. (1 Thess. 1:3 “Remembering without

ceasing your work of faith and labor of love.”) People appreciate you work of love

and they will remember your work of love. God will, too!

6. Labor to enter his rest. (“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest.”) We are

to labor and then we rest. I am now 63 and realize my work for God is not as strenuous.

I once went to the mission field, taught Christian School, etc. Now I am writing for

God and teaching more to students one-on-one. Someday I will enter His rest to live with God

forever; but for now I must labor.

7. Blessed by God to rest from your labor. (Rev. 14:13 “Blessed are the dead who

die in the Lord, …..rest from their labor.”) By the way, we are to take a rest on

Sunday or at least one day of the week as God did. There, of course, we will rest

from all our labor in Heaven. I think there is no labor in Heaven, because of this

verse.

8. You are really needed, laborers. (Matt.9:37 “The harvest truly is plenteous, but

the laborers are few.”) God is letting us know that we need laborers, He needs

laborers. If He gets them, there will be a big harvest. I’m glad someone labored

and led me to Christ. Churches thrive when the people witness and bring others to

church.

9. We are to pray that God would send laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:2 “Pray

ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his

harvest.”) We are to be praying for laborers. Sometimes laborers in a church are

just waiting for someone to ask them to join in the labor of the church. On the other

hand, if no one does, that doesn’t mean there is not anything a person can do in a

church or labor for God. One can witness for Jesus, bring them to church, give

tracts, pray for others, give to God’s work, etc., etc.

10. We are laborers with God. (1Cor. 3:9 “For we are labourers together with God,

ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”) God wants people to work with

him, as He is building His kingdom. What a wonderful privilege to be be a laborer for

God.

Copyright Carol Meek