Labor Day reminder of accomplishments

Next Monday will be Labor Day, the national holiday celebrated each first Monday in September since the late 1800s to commemorate the social and economic achievements by American workers that led to the USA’s strength, prosperity and well-being as a world power.

Without setting aside the American worker’s place in our nation’s success, this article is about America’s real source of strength, prosperity and well-being — God.

First, God is our source of strength, which includes the ability to accomplish whatever we decide to do that’s within his will (Exodus 15:1-2; 1 Chronicles 29:1-13; Ecclesiastes 5:10; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Philippians 4:13; 2 Samuel 22:33). God gives strength to individuals on his terms, and the nation is strengthened through our combined individual strengths. Actually, we cannot accomplish anything positive, like prosperity or having a sense of well-being, without God’s strength (John 15:1-10; Isaiah 40:28-31; Ephesians 1:18-21; Deuteronomy 8:17-18). To receive the strength for success, we must love God with all our strength because he only strengthens those committed to him (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:28-31; Psalm 105:4; 29:11; 2 Chronicles 16:9). To gain strength for success (prosperity and a sense of well-being), we must seek knowledge of God (Proverbs 24:3-5).

Prosperity is a specific goal God has for everyone during our time on Earth but we must seek his righteousness as individuals to prosper as a nation (Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 45:7; Matthew 6:25-33; Deuteronomy 5:33; 29:9; Proverbs 21:21). Prosperity is actually a reward in this life for the righteous, while misfortune eventually comes to those who practice evil, including the absence of doing good (Proverbs 13:21; Deuteronomy 28:58-63; James 4:17). As with acquiring strength, we must gain knowledge of God and his wisdom to prosper (Proverbs 3:1-3; 16:20; 19:8; Joshua 1:8; James 3:13-18; Psalm 1:1-6).

When it comes to having a sense of well-being as a nation, God intends for the good of all people in all things, no matter what our intentions are (Psalm 119:68; 145:7; Genesis 50:19-21; Exodus 34:6-7; Matthew 5:45 to 7:11).

So we should seek the good of others based on God’s guidelines (Matthew 7:12; Proverbs 11:27; Micah 6:8). This means we must first cultivate our own wholesome thinking to promote our own sense of well-being and to instill that in others (Philippians 2:1-5; 4:6-9; 2 Peter 3:1-3; Romans 16:19; Hebrews 10:23-24).

Labor Day is meant to remind Americans of what our country has accomplished on a global scale and what we can still do. If we want to enjoy social and economic achievement that leads to national strength, prosperity, and well-being, we must begin by improving those traits in ourselves individually, then use our skills to promote the nation as one who claims to be God’s inheritance (Psalm 33:12; 128:1-2; Psalm 73:24-28).

Are you striving for strength, prosperity and a sense of well-being on God’s terms? If we do that as individuals, perhaps it will catch on to those around us, and collectively we can promote America’s greatness in our own eyes and to the world!

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].