V38 “I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September. It is a day set aside to honor the nation's workers. The emphasis of the Bible passage is on the Sowers and the reapers. Within each of our own families, earlier generations had to plant the seeds that would eventually lead to where we are now. Our ancestors worked diligently, maintained their faith, and gave their offspring prayers and knowledge even though they had no idea where their labor and hard effort would bring their lineage. When my grandparents were still alive, I had the privilege of speaking with them about their early years in life. They discussed their faith and commitment to the Mar Thoma Church mission. Their basis was God, and everything they did was based around their family. They maintained their faithfulness and hung onto God's hope despite all of their difficulties. Thanks to their prayers and labor many of their children immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s and later. My mom arrived in 1971 and I am still honored to hear her stories from the 1970’s. At the time, there was no Mar Thoma church in America; instead, a gathering of people attended prayer meetings. I adore listening to older generations' stories and hearing about their relationships and the extent of their support for one another is incredible. They also spoke of leaving behind a home and family in India to begin a new life in a foreign land. They had to have been devastated, but they trusted in God and one another and maintained their faith. They persevered during a time when prejudice was at its worst and created a congregation that gave birth to the Mar Thoma Church. Despite having family responsibilities in both India and America, they nonetheless joined together to start Mar Thoma Churches in their respective cities. We now have organizations at the local, regional, and diocesan levels. The older generation put a lot of effort into creating a Christian fellowship community so that everyone could help one another and develop together. Today's younger generation benefits from the preceding generation's labor. We put a lot of effort into accumulating wealth for our own benefit, with the possibility of making a little donation to church or missionary work.
When you define success in terms of money, what are you sowing into your family? What benefits will your labor have on the next generation? Will you instill in them the desire to act morally, to be sympathetic, and, most importantly, to love Jesus? Every generation sow with the expectation that their next generation will reap the benefits of their labor and take care of them, even though they may not live long enough to see them. May God the Almighty continue to bless you as you serve as a light in the shadows. I ask that you approach whatever you do daily with prayer so that others can follow in your footsteps.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for our forefathers' and parents' labor. We appreciate their perseverance in the belief that their descendants will carry on in their footsteps. Lord, we ask that while we are enjoying the fruits of their effort, we do not turn away from you but rather draw nearer to you with praise and thankfulness. We ask that you draw near to and enter the hearts of our future generation in prayer. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Galatians 6:9-10
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Libby Skariah
Mar Thoma Congregation of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas