In our current culture, there seems to be a lack of respect for dads working in the labor force. These blue-collar fathers get up and grind it out every day. You know the guys working in a garage, construction, or some other hands-on job. 

This is, in part, because we have elevated white-collar and/or technological work to an unhealthy level. It is not that I look down on white collar or academic work. It is work. I have such a job as a pastor, blogger, and leader. But why have we diminished the need for laborers or looked at those careers as subpar over the last couple decades?

I believe that these jobs are starting to be viewed differently in a good sense, and that they will be in more demand in the near future. In part, there may be more of a need for them as more young people chase careers sitting behind a computer screen. Also, as less people in our society are able to do their own hands-on tasks in their own house, car, or yard, we are going to need more of these trades people. 

90’S KIDS PUSH FOR A 4-YEAR DEGREE

As a high school student in the late 90’s, the trades seemed to be neglected. It seemed like my generation was told if you don’t go to college for a four-year degree, how will you make anything of yourself? Because of that, I think it created an unhealthy perception of hard-working, blue-collar dads.

WHAT ABOUT JESUS?

Let’s think about Jesus though. He was a carpenter, and grew up in the house of a carpenter. At the time of the first century, most young boys would learn trades from their fathers and become proficient at it themselves. They worked side-by-side with their dads. From Scripture we learn that Jesus, before His public ministry, was a laborer and had a laborer dad. 

Mark 6:3a says, “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s Son and the brother of James?” Do you see what is happening here? Not only do we learn about Jesus being a carpenter, but it was even looked down on then. Well, actually then the profession wasn’t, but it was in the sense that “how could a carpenter be the Messiah?” In other words, they were asking, shouldn’t He be more important than that? The answer was no. The Messiah could be an average guy.

THE ONLY REAL REASON TO BE ASHAMED OF YOUR WORK

The reality is that there is no reason to be ashamed of your work if your work is godly, and helps you take care of your family. The godly part means you are not doing something forbidden by God in order to earn money.

Taking care of family is discussed in the Bible. I Timothy 5:8 says, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” The question isn’t what color collar you wear, but are you working to provide for your family? If you are doing that, then there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.