Looking for the easy way out is definitely too natural and easy. Kara reminds us of the great value in working hard.

Scripture

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Reflect

Growing up, I had a fascination with the paint mixing machine at our local ‘hardwork’ store. Watching it shake and spin, I remember thinking to myself, “Ah-ha! That’s why they call it, The Hardwork Store, because it does all of the hard work for you!” It wasn’t until years later that I discovered it was actually called, The Hardware Store, and that there is hardware you buy to do the hard work yourself.

My generation’s perception of hard work isn’t far from this one. We rely heavily on a handheld machine and the touch of a finger to do most of our work for us. In a society that has made incredible advances to ensure convenience, is hard work still of value, and if so, what does it look like? 

1. Whatever you do, work. As a servant of Jesus, hard work is not a value existing only between the hours of 8-5 or when sweat perspires. It is a value weaving throughout everything we do. Scripture says, “Whatever you do, work…” Think of all of the things you ‘do’ throughout a day… Whether eating breakfast, folding laundry, within every relationship, menial task, bite of food, step taken, dollar spent, word said, in all you do… consider it work that is worth intention.
2. Be all in. When we work, it is tempting to cut corners and take the easy way out. But, to work with all our heart, beckons our work to be done with all we are…heart, soul and might. How can we infuse day-to-day tasks with the fullness of who we are…breath, body, passion and thought? Clean our house with utmost excellence.  Be personable as we respond to emails. Fully submit ourselves to a game of hide and seek with kids. Be all in, in all we do, and we might find that working heartily is the most pleasant way to work.
3. Work as worship. Each relationship in our life demands our work with a set of expectations impossible to fulfill and difficult to please. Working for man is futile and exhausting. That’s why Paul exhorts us as bondservants of Jesus to work with all our heart in all we do, as for the Lord and not for man. God offers us an undeserved inheritance that is our secure, eternal reward regardless of what we produce for Him. His expectations are constant, and because of Jesus, He is already pleased. We work for God as a response to who He is and what He has done. It is our worship.

Even if the machine does the hard work to mix the paint for us, imagine all we can do with a can of paint! We have the hardware to work in all we do. So let’s go on and do it with all our heart unto the Lord because He alone is worthy.

Camper Corner

Read Colossians 3:23.  It’s easy to think hard work is just required of us at school, doing chores or playing sports, but we’re called to work heartily in all we do, and to do it for God.

1. When is it hard to work?
2. How can you work hard in all you do?
3. What is a benefit in working for God and not for man?