You're blessed if you have the strength to work.

The great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, whose voice carried both sorrow and hope across generations, once spoke words simple yet profound: “You’re blessed if you have the strength to work.” In these words, she revealed a truth often forgotten by those who chase glory and wealth — that the ability to labor, to rise each day with strength in the body and determination in the spirit, is itself a divine blessing. For work is not merely toil; it is the song of life, the evidence of vitality, the proof that one still has purpose upon this earth.

To have the strength to work is to have the gift of motion when others are bound by frailty, the power to shape the world when others can only watch. Many complain of labor as a burden, but Jackson reminds us it is a privilege. The farmer who bends to sow, the builder who lifts the stone, the singer who raises her voice — all are blessed, for their work is the means by which they serve, by which they sustain, by which they live. When strength is gone, work becomes impossible, and the soul must rely only on others. Thus, those who can labor should not despise it, but give thanks for the blessing it is.

History gives us shining testimony to this truth. Consider the life of Booker T. Washington, born a slave and freed with nothing but his will. He labored in salt furnaces and coal mines, his hands scarred and weary. Yet he considered this work a blessing, for it gave him the discipline and strength to rise. Through labor, he earned his education, built the Tuskegee Institute, and uplifted generations. His life proclaims the same truth Jackson sang: that to have the strength to work is to hold in your hands the seed of transformation.

Work, when seen rightly, is not drudgery but dignity. It shapes the body, fortifies the will, and nourishes the soul with the satisfaction of effort well spent. Even the smallest task, done with devotion, carries worth. To sweep a floor, to till a field, to write a letter — these are not empty acts. They are prayers made visible, gifts offered to the world. The one who works with gratitude does not merely labor; they participate in creation itself.

Yet how often do we forget this blessing? How often do we complain, grumble, and long for ease, forgetting that there are those who would give all they have simply to rise from their bed and feel strength in their limbs once more? Mahalia Jackson, who herself rose from poverty to worldwide renown, knew well that work is both burden and grace. To sing through struggle, to labor through pain, is to prove that life still flows in you, that you are still part of the great current of existence.

The lesson, then, is this: do not despise your labor. Cherish the strength to work as a holy gift. Let gratitude fill your heart when you lift your hand to any task, for it means you are alive, capable, and entrusted with purpose. Work not only for survival but with the joy of serving, of building, of creating. In your labor, whether great or small, you carry forward the dignity of those who came before you and lay foundations for those yet to come.

Practical wisdom follows: when you wake, give thanks for the breath in your body and the energy in your frame. Approach your tasks not with bitterness, but with reverence. Remember that each day of work is one more chance to shape your life, to serve others, and to honor the gift of strength given to you. And if weariness comes, let gratitude renew you, for even the weary can rejoice that they still have the power to continue.

Thus, Mahalia Jackson’s words stand as a hymn for all who labor: “You’re blessed if you have the strength to work.” Embrace this truth, and your work, whatever it may be, will no longer be a burden, but a blessing — a sacred song of strength and life, offered each day to the world.