Kerby Anderson
Today is Labor Day. Although this day was set aside to honor trade and labor organizations, I believe it is a day when Christians can also consider how they view work and labor. The Bible has quite a bit to say about how we are to view work, and so I devote part of a chapter in my book, Making the Most of Your Money, to a biblical view of work.
First, we are to work unto the Lord in our labors. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” We may have an earthly master (or boss) but ultimately, we are working for our heavenly Master.
Second, work is valuable. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 to “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.” He also warns in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that “if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
The Proverbs talk about the importance and benefits of work. Proverbs 12:11 says, “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.” Proverbs 13:4 says, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.” And Proverbs 14:23 says, “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
The Greeks and Romans looked upon manual work as a menial task that was only for slaves (or else for people of lower classes). The biblical view of work changed that ancient view because work and labor were combined with the idea of vocation and calling.
These ideas were reinforced in the Middle Ages through the gild movement and even expanded during the Reformation. Martin Luther, for example, taught that all work can be done for the glory of God. John Calvin taught that all should work because they were to serve as God’s instruments on earth. This led to what today is called the Protestant work ethic.
Let’s use this Labor Day to teach and reinforce biblical ideas of work.

Penna Dexter
You’ve heard of sanctuary cities. These are municipalities that refuse to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing immigration law, thus providing a sanctuary, or safe haven, for illegal aliens, helping them to break U.S. law.
Now, a California coastal town has declared itself a “sanctuary city for parental rights.”
Huntington Beach is a great surfing spot. In WalletHub’s poll of “Best Places to Raise a Family,” it ranks number 10. The city’s school district is highly rated.
Huntington Beach Mayor, Gracey Van Der Mark is hoping to keep it that way. She has introduced an ordinance to make Huntington Beach a “Parents Right to Know” city. She wants to protect parents’ rights to be informed if their child is going through a gender “transition.”
Mayor Van Der Mark told The Daily Signal, “California is one of the most dangerous states to raise a child.” This summer, Governor Gavin Newsome signed AB 1955 which prevents school districts from enforcing any policy that requires schools to disclose  information related to a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression without the pupil’s consent.
AB 1955 requires schools to conceal gender transitions from parents, overriding school board policies that mandate transparency.
Some school boards have complied by enacting policies forbidding transparency. In Northern California, the Chico Unified School Board’s “parental secrecy policy” requires schools to socially transition students upon their request and states that school staff should not reveal a transgender student’s gender identity to parents. A lawsuit against this policy is pending at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
State law currently violates parents’ constitutional rights by giving ”perfect strangers” discretion to facilitate a child’s gender transition. Huntington Beach’s mayor hopes that her “Right to Know” ordinance will pave the way for parents to sue the state to overturn AB 1955.
May God raise up courageous parents to oppose this arrogant, godless government.

Kerby Anderson
Are more Americans becoming unemployable? In previous commentaries, I have mentioned that we have 7 million men (ages 25-54) who are not working and not looking for work. Last year to coincide with Labor Day, Senator Marco Rubio issued a critical report on the working and non-working man. His research discovered that two-thirds of these non-working men “have never married” and nearly “a third live with their parents.” Also, half of them take painkillers daily.
Steven Malanga concludes in his essay, Unemployable, that “a growing number of Americans aren’t simply out of a job. They’re no longer fit for work.” This is due, he explains, to worsening social dysfunction, changing attitudes toward work, and failures by the schools to prepare students for the labor market.
This problem could not come at a worse time. This surge in unemployable Americans is taking place as millions of baby boomers are retiring. Some of the impact has been cushioned by the steady rise of women entering the workforce, but that percentage reached its peak years ago.
One major reason more Americans are unemployable is drugs. The lockdowns during the pandemic detached people from work but also increased the percent of Americans using drugs. Quest Diagnostics reported that workers testing positive for drugs hit a ten-year high in 2021.
Two dozen states have legalized recreational marijuana. As I have mentioned in previous commentaries, workers regularly using cannabis are not only hazardous to themselves but to others. Many positions go unfilled because companies cannot find workers who do not test positive for drugs.
Drugs are just one reason more and more Americans are now unemployable. I will talk about other reasons in future commentaries.