The Dignity of A Job Well Done

Have you ever been to Biltmore Estate? The nation’s largest privately-owned residence sits about 150 miles west of Kernersville News headquarters. It features ornate landscaping and architecture that attracts tourists from across the globe. It is a true monument to decadence, and stands as one of the best examples of architecture during the aptly-named American ‘Gilded’ Age. 

Biltmore Estate is a wonderful place to visit. But am I the only one who shudders at the thought of actually living there? I like big houses, but a house that big is like tea that is too sweet. (Personally I think there’s no such thing) It is just too much. This home could only be the product of a family that squandered one of the largest fortunes ever in just a few generations.

Life is funny sometimes. It is easy to wake up every morning wanting to hit the snooze button. Rest and relaxation feel so good in the short-term. We humans toil day in and day out, exerting ourselves mentally and physically. Yet in the long-term, work turns out to be the best thing for us. Work is what makes most of us engaged in this world. It is where we learn about the mighty feats that we are capable of. 

The Bible tells us that, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” The Bible knew this long before Cornelius Vanderbilt’s heirs found out the hard way. There is so much dignity in an honest day’s labor. 

My own life has been a testament to the words from God. I have written about the difficult financial circumstances that I was born into, and my family’s struggles to get our business off of the ground. Our difficulties only made us stronger and wiser. I never would have imagined what I was truly capable of if I had not experienced some hard times first. 

My past experiences are part of why I am so skeptical of those who promise “compassion,” but who really seem to want to fight this basic fact of life. My opponents have spent millions of dollars against me politically in schemes to expand welfare programs to able-bodied adults under the guise of “compassion.” There is nothing compassionate about the welfare trap or prolonging the cycle of poverty. I will do everything I can to help as many people as possible to avoid it. 

There is something rotten that happens to us when we sit idle. We see it in people who retire and do not find something to do afterward. Death quickly follows. We also see it in big lottery winners. Most are destitute within a few short years of this happening. It’s also prevalent in people who are born into large fortunes. We’ve all heard the stories about how it takes two generations to squander the wealth created by entrepreneurs. Those who didn’t create the wealth seem to not have the determination to work to maintain it. 

The Bible also tells us, “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” 

Human beings are not meant to live lives of empty leisure. God put us all here for a purpose, and for most people that includes a lot of hard work. An honest day’s work is one of the best things in life. It gives us all a sense of purpose and dignity. 

There is great pride in creating something and a sense of worth in being self-sufficient. When I look out on my patio and see the beautiful flowers growing there, I have a wonderful sense of pride. I think, “with my very own hands, I paid somebody to do that.”