If Labor Day reminds us of anything, it’s that aligning work with purpose is the only way to labor with peace.
The grills are firing up. The last lake swims of the season are happening. Some of us are sneaking in a final bratwurst (or three) before summer officially packs up its sunscreen and waves goodbye.
And in case you need a quick history refresher: Labor Day was first celebrated in 1882 by the Central Labor Union of New York. Two years later, it became an annual holiday, honoring the contributions of American workers and the labor movement that secured fairer wages, safer working conditions, and (ironically) the eight-hour workday we often still stretch into ten.
So yes, Labor Day is about work. But it’s also about rest. Which is why I find myself writing this while…on vacation. This holiday now lands at the hinge between seasons: the end of summer’s ease and the start of fall’s busyness. It’s the perfect moment to ask: Is my work aligned with my purpose and calling, or just draining my energy?
The shift into fall has a way of snapping us back into reality: alarm clocks ring earlier, inboxes fill faster, and schedules tighten overnight.
The carefree pace of summer quickly gives way to the structured cadence of school schedules, meetings, reports, and, yes, “back to work.” And maybe that’s why this holiday has always carried a strange irony: on the day we honor labor, we don’t labor. We rest.
But maybe that’s the point.
For many, Labor Day isn’t just a holiday. It’s the turning of the dial from margin to momentum, from vacation to vocation. And it raises the deeper question: How do we align this new season of work with our deeper sense of purpose and calling?
Because if we’re honest, a lot of us don’t just work long hours; we let our work become our identity. We confuse being busy with being purposeful. We forget that the real invitation is not just to work harder, but to work aligned.
What do I mean by that?
When those three align, work takes on a different character. It stops being a grind and starts becoming a gift.
Work misaligned with calling leads to burnout.
Work misaligned with purpose leads to futility.
Work misaligned with peace leads to exhaustion.
But when our work flows from a place of rest in Christ, when we’re grounded, clear, and present, our labor becomes more than output. It becomes worship.
That’s why Labor Day, right on the cusp of fall, can be such a powerful reset. It asks us to stop and consider not just how much we’re working, but why we’re working, and from what source we’re working.
As I write this, I’m on the first day of vacation, heading into the mountains. (Which, by the way, is proof that even pastors, coaches, and executive leaders need to shut the laptop and hike once in a while.)
And here’s the funny thing: the more I rest, the more I think about work. Not in a stressed-out, to-do-list way, but in a clarified way. Rest sharpens the focus on what matters. It trims the noise, clears the fog, and reminds me that my worth is not in what I produce but in Whose I am.
So this Labor Day, here’s my invitation:
Before you rush headlong into fall’s busy calendar…pause.
Because work done from peace, purpose, and calling isn’t just labor.
It’s life-giving.
If one of these challenges stirred something in you, maybe it’s time to take a deeper look at how your work lines up with your purpose and calling.
This is the work I love to do with leaders and churches, helping them rediscover alignment so their labor flows from peace, not exhaustion.
👉 Reach out here to start a conversation.
Because when your work is aligned with your purpose, you don’t just get more done — you get to live and lead from a place of freedom.
Craig Mc Court says:
Well said Jeff! Thanks for sharing your insights and your talents with the church!