Loren Lippincott
In 1944 during the period of the highest mortality rate for American servicemen in WWII, my father volunteered to join the Army. While in boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, he commented, “This is easy compared to farm work back home!” Years later, my mother stated he was the hardest working man she had ever known.
Nebraska is known for its strong work ethic. From the wide farm fields of the Platte River Valley to the packing plants, factories and small businesses in towns across the state, people here grow up understanding that hard work matters. Generations of Nebraskans have risen early, stayed late and done what needed to be done. This attitude is not just cultural. It connects deeply to biblical teaching and finds public recognition each year on Labor Day.
The Fourth Commandment, found in the book of Exodus, says: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.” The command is clear and practical. Work is expected. People are told to labor for six days, but rest is also required. One day is to be set aside for rest and focusing on higher things. The Bible does not praise idleness, but it also does not praise endless toil. Work and rest belong together.
Nebraska’s history matches this pattern. Early settlers broke tough prairie sod, raised crops and built communities with their hands. Farmers still rise before dawn during planting and harvest. Ranchers check cattle in every kind of weather. Factory workers, teachers, nurses and small business owners put in long hours. The state’s reputation for reliability comes from this steady effort. At the same time, Nebraskans have always valued Sunday rest, family gatherings, church and time away from the fields or the shop. The rhythm of six days of work and one day of rest feels natural here.
Labor Day grew out of the same respect for honest work.
In the late 1800s, American workers faced long hours and hard conditions. Labor leaders pushed for recognition of the contributions of working people, so in 1894 Congress made the first Monday in September a national holiday. The day honors the strength, skill and sacrifice of ordinary workers. It is not a day that celebrates laziness, but a day that says hard work deserves respect and a moment of rest.
In Nebraska, Labor Day fits the local character. The holiday arrives near the end of summer, when harvest is near. Families still gather for picnics, parades and community events. Celebrating a holiday does not cancel the work ethic, but rather affirms it. By pausing to honor workers, we acknowledge productive labor that builds homes, feeds families and strengthens communities.
The connection between these three ideas is simple. The Fourth Commandment teaches that work is good and necessary, yet rest is also required. Nebraska’s people have lived out that teaching for generations through farming, manufacturing and daily effort. Labor Day publicly recognizes the value of that effort. A balanced view of life requires both work and rest: work hard for six days, rest on the seventh, and once a year pause as a community to honor the people who keep the work going.
This balance matters. A society that only demands work without rest wears people out. A society that only rests cannot sustain itself. Nebraska’s tradition of steady labor, biblical rest and a national holiday that honors workers offers a practical model. It reminds citizens that dignity is found in honest effort, that rest restores the spirit and that a community grows stronger when it honors those who labor.
In the end, the Nebraska work ethic is not just about long hours. It is about faithfulness in daily tasks, the wisdom to take time for rest (and play) and the gratitude expressed on Labor Day. The Fourth Commandment provides the ancient foundation. Nebraska’s people have given it a living form. Labor Day gives it a public voice. Work six days. Rest one day. And once a year, tip the hat to every person who has done their part.
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.