Last time we spoke about real rest, and about some kinds of rest. Today we shall speak about holy labor and getting one”s rest and comfort in making the others comfortable.
A spiritual person does not flee from labor to seek rest, but rather feels happy when laboring for God”s sake. He seeks first the peace of conscience and the rest in the Lord. The rest of the body is his last concern, for he prefers labor with spiritual gain that may bring him to God or cause edification of the kingdom to such rest.
Here we would like to present types of holy labor, which has many examples in the Scripture, including: labor for preaching, education, and ministry in general; and labor in spiritual struggling. St. Paul, for instance, seeing that some people thought him less than the other apostles in the rank, defended his apostleship, saying, “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor 15: 10) and again, “Are they ministers of Christ? – I speak as a fool – I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.” And he describes the labor in ministry, saying, “in journeys often, in perils of water … of robbers … in weariness and toil … ” (2 Cor 11:23- 26) Then about the reward of all that toil and labor, he said, “Each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”
St. Paul also praised the priests who labor in the word and doctrine, saying let them be counted worthy of double honor (1 Tim 5: 17). And to the Thessalonians he said, “We urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love.” (1 Thess 5: 12) And in the Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul mentioned the names of some holy women who labored for the ministry: “Greet Mary, who labored much for us ,,, Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.” (Rom 16: 6, 12)
Whatever labor a person may labor for the Lord is pleasant, and God will never forget, as the apostle says, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name.” (Heb 6: 10) It is good to say that you love the Lord, but your love will only appear in your labor for His sake, and He will reward you for your love and your labor. Therefore the apostle said, “I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” (Phil 2: 16) And to the Corinthians he said, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor 15: 58)
A person who labors will rejoice at the fruit of his labor.
Take for example the sower who labors in plowing his land, cultivating it, irrigating it, and cleaning it form insects, when the harvest time comes he rejoices, seeing that his labor was not in vain. The Lord has rewarded him with blessing as much as he had labored.
Whatever labor a person may labor in a spiritual way and for a spiritual purpose will be counted for him with God in His records.
The Lord thus said to the angel of the Church in Ephesus: “I know your works, your labor, your patience …” (Rev 2: 2) How comforting to be sure that God knows one”s labor, writes them in the Book of Life, and will reward for it in the happy eternity and perhaps in the present life as well! He will also support you in your labor and give you strength, or perhaps will say as He said to St. Paul of Tamouh in his struggle: ”suffice all this labor, my beloved Paul!” He always says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11: 28) He gives us rest by carrying the burdens instead of us, gives us spiritual comfort in our labor, gives us His beautiful promises, gives us pleasure in our labor so that we may long to more labor, or reminds us that all our labor for His sake will follow us to the happy eternity, as He said in His blessing to the departed: “… that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev 14: 13)
Therefore a spiritual person in his labor for the Lord feels the blessing of that labor, and that each labor has a crown, so he never seeks rest in the present life, remembering the words of the holy inspiration in the Proverbs: “In all labor there is profit.” (Prov 14: 23)
As the Holy Scriptures has presented to us examples of those who labored for the Lord, the Church History likewise provided us with examples of holy labor.
Among those examples is St. Athanasius the Apostolic who labored for the sake of faith. He suffered much persecution on the hands of the heretic Arians, and many false charges and resistance were addressed against him. He was condemned by councils, and complaints against him were submitted to the emperor, and he was exiled so many times that it was said to him: the whole world is against you, O Athanasius!! However, he endured all such suffering with patience and rejoicing in order to protect faith, so he received the blessing of all that labor.
There is also the same, or even more, labor suffered by the martyrs, such as: threatening, trial, imprisonment, and terrible torments, and indescribable pains. Yet, it was blessed labor for the sake of the Lord, for which they received crowns and eternal rest.
A spiritual person rejoices at labor and find rest in it.
A spiritual person finds internal rest in such external labor or suffering, or in other words finds his spirituality in the toil of the body, or rather the eternal rest in such present temporary toil, so he is willing to toil here that he might find rest there. St. John the Baptist suffered much for rebuking Herod for taking his brother”s wife. He was imprisoned for that and his head was cut, but he satisfied his conscience so that he might have rest in eternity, thus giving us an example of courage in defending truth.
We cannot also forget the labor of those who were faithful in their ministry, putting before their eyes the words of the Lord: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev 2: 10)
Is there more toil than that?! But it is a mere expression of man”s love to God. See what David the Prophet says: “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty God of Jacob.” (Ps 132: 3- 5) He did not allow himself rest of the body except after fulfilling his duties and carrying out his responsibility of ministering to the Lord. Only then he could find spiritual and bodily rest and could sleep comfortable within.
A spiritual person does not flee from labor, for whoever flees from labor is actually fleeing from God, fleeing from his duties and responsibility, and fleeing from the crowns prepared for him. On the other hand, whoever labors is actually revealing the extent of his love to God, the extent of his concern about God”s kingdom on the earth, and his concern about serving God in the person of His children.
Therefore, if you want to have peace of heart, labor for the rest of the others.
All those who labored for the rest and comfort of the others felt inner happiness, even in the social life. Many are the examples of this: take for instance the physician who finds peace of heart and satisfaction of conscience in relieving a patient from his pains; or the caricature artist who finds his comfort in the pleasure of those who see his drawings and read his jokes; and likewise every artist who finds rest in causing happiness to those who enjoy his art.
A person who seeks his own rest may be selfish, but a spiritual person is always concerned about the comfort of the others.
Some souls are comfortable; whoever deals with them will feel comfortable. They are a continual source of comfort. Examples of this are:
• Parents: the mother toils much for raising up her daughter, for preparing her for marriage, and feels happy when she settles in a marital life. Although she will be deprived of having her at home, she feels happy for her happiness. The mother also may sell her jewelry to prepare for her marriage if necessary. The father likewise toils for his children, for their education, and for their future life, feeling that it is his message in life to provide them with all means of comfort and happiness. Therefore our Good God calls Himself “The Heavenly Father”. In brief both the father and the mother work for raising their children properly.
• Another example is the shepherd and his toil for the sake of his flock. He does not work for his own comfort, but does his best for the sake of his sheep, leading them to green pasture and to still waters, and protecting them against any aggression or danger they may face. That is why God set shepherds or pastors for His people to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20: 28). The Lord also compared Himself to the shepherd, saying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (Jn 10: 11) And in the Old Testament the Lord said, “I will feed My flock and I will make them lie down … I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick.” (Ezek 34: 15, 16) He sacrifices for the rest of His sheep.
• This gives us an idea of rest by giving. A spiritual person finds his happiness in giving, and finds his rest in the happiness of those to whom he gives. The suckling finds rest with the nurse who feeds him, whether she was his mother or a nurse. And she finds her rest in seeing him happy and smiling. Much is done for children, but such giving causes happiness.
• Our hearts will continue anxious until they find their comfort in God. A person who is away from God will be weary, for real rest is only in God. Therefore truly said David the Prophet, “It is good for me to draw near to God,” “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man … than to put confidence in princes … they pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me … The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted.” (Ps 118: 8 – 16)
• Man finds rest in the life of faith and in the life of hope. A person who loses hope falls in despair and approaches perdition and loss. But a spiritual person finds in hope a solution for every problem, and a key or many keys for every closed door, and a rising from every fall. Problems are pyramidal: they rise to the top, then falls down on the other side. Such were the problems of Joseph the Righteous; they increased to the utmost leading him to prison, then they decreased till they brought him to the rule. This applies to Job”s trial: it arose till he lost everything, then ended in double blessing (Job 10: 42).
• The rest of a spiritual person is in the life of submission and peace as well as in the life of faith and hope. Trust that if you felt comfort within your will feel rest and comfort from the outside. But let your means for rest be always spiritual means, for some people when facing a problem may find their rest in a lie or a deceitful trick, as was the case with David the Prophet when he fell. Some others seek some pain killer medicines, which cannot solve their problems or make them forget the problems!
• Rest does not mean stopping work completely, but rather avoiding exhaustion. If you got tired of thinking concerning a certain matter, you cannot stop your mind from thinking, but you can change the course of thinking and replace the thought with another, so you will have rest.
The topic of rest and labor needs more talk in another article – God willing.