My wife and I recently waited over half an hour to be seated at a popular restaurant. We could see several empty tables, but the hostess apologized, saying, “We have plenty of tables available, but unfortunately, we don’t have enough servers.”
You have likely seen the signs outside busy restaurants and small businesses looking for help. “We’re Hiring!” “Begin at $18.00 an hour.” “$500 bonus to start now!” Plus, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of hearing, “Sorry, the shipment won’t be here for another two weeks due to a shortage of suppliers and truck drivers.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at the end of May 2021, the number of job openings was reported at 9.2 million.
Where have all the workers gone? The job openings are plenty, but the laborers are few. Apparently, laziness is one of the by-products of the Covid shutdown. Able-bodied people became accustomed to staying home during the pandemic, and they liked not working. The federal government exacerbated the problem by providing ongoing stimulus money to people who refuse to work. Why bother if you can live comfortably by manipulating the system?
The current worker shortage illustrates the Biblical principle of the sinful nature of man. The scripture teaches that we all inherit the rebellious nature of Adam. Therefore, we instinctively gravitate to that which is evil. (See Romans 7:18.) Laziness is condemned in the Bible as sin. Proverbs 10:4 says, “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Sloth was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the church fathers way back in the 4th Century. So, if we pay people not to work, we should not be surprised if there is a shortage of workers. That is human nature.
Of course, the Bible teaches us to care for the poor and needy who cannot provide for themselves. “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17).
However, the Bible also teaches that those who are capable of working yet refuse to do so are not to be helped. “… we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Nothing motivates people to look for a job like a hungry stomach. But when the government or benevolent agencies (including the church) reward laziness, we do a disservice both to those who work hard and to those who refuse to do so.
The Bible teaches work is a blessing, not a curse. The first book of the Bible teaches Adam and Eve were given work to do in the garden before the fall. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). The last book of the Bible, Revelation 22:3, teaches in heaven, “…his servants will serve him.” We’re not going to spend eternity resting; there will be meaningful work to do. To repeatedly give lazy individuals something for nothing actually hurts them in the long run. People need to work for their own good.
Work is a blessing because it builds self-esteem. We are created in the image of God, and God is “always at his work” (John 5:17). We are designed to be productive. When we work, we experience a sense of fulfillment and gain the respect of others. If we go very long without working, we feel guilty and worthless. Solomon wrote, “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
We need to work because a job well done pleases God. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). When we perform our job with excellence, the Lord is pleased. We honor God as much by doing a good job in the workplace as we do by singing hymns in the sanctuary. Our job performance is our Monday through Friday worship.
We need work to develop character. It’s estimated that 80% of the American people hate their job and want out. But maybe that heavy load, irksome patient, rebellious student, demanding supervisor, irritating co-worker, or those long, tedious hours are God’s sandpaper that He’s using to smooth the rough edges in your character. He’s developing you for future service.
Years ago, I made a list of the various paying jobs I had as a young man. Picking elderberries and putting up hay for neighbors so I’d have enough money to go to the county fair. When I was 14 years old, my first full-time summer job was hoeing weeds at a nursery for 80 cents an hour. That was backbreaking! After graduation from high school, I paid my own way through college. During my freshman year, I worked as a member of the campus maintenance crew. In the summers, I worked at a steel foundry and then at a pickle factory, and then as a playground supervisor. During the school year, I worked all night as a stock boy for A&P and as a church janitor. I even tried to sell records and vitamin supplements on the side.
Some of those jobs were humbling and unpleasant, but all helped mature me. I learned where my gifts were and what went on in the marketplace. Working at Albro Pickle gave me staying power in ministry. Every time I would get discouraged and entertain the idea of quitting, I’d remember the unpleasant odor of pickle brine and ask, “Do you want to go back to that?” I’d keep preaching! I’m of the opinion everyone should have to work early in life at a job they don’t like so they’ll appreciate the job that’s in their sweet spot later on.
Maybe that’s why so many of God’s servants in the Bible were called when they were working. David and Moses were tending sheep, Amos was picking figs, Gideon threshing wheat, Elisha plowing, James and John fishing, Matthew was operating a tax collector’s booth. Work developed their character and prepared them for service in God’s Kingdom.
The solution to the current labor shortage is pretty simple. First, quit giving money and handouts to people who are capable of working yet refuse to do so. To provide the sluggard something for nothing is not being compassionate; it’s being naïve. Also, quit voting for politicians who enable laziness or who promise free stuff to obtain votes. The wisest human being who ever lived wrote, “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor” (Proverbs 12:24).
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