Hard Work? A Blessing? Really?

Contributor: Bill Hercules

Work is a curse from the beginning of time.  Anybody agree with me?  I know…  Let’s just dig ditches like a chain gang – just because it’s fun and rewarding.  Any takers?  No?

So what’s the big deal, anyway?  What do they mean by working hard?  What about hardly working?  Well, it’s just as real as gravity.  Work is a divine curse, and you can’t escape it.  You can try and pretend, but in the end when things don’t get done, you show that you’re getting better at being lazy than being effective, and God isn’t pleased.  Bruno Mars?  Garfield the cat?  Unimpressive.

So, what does hard work mean?  Why even care?  Does it really matter?

Crastination – a twenty dollar word for the state of tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the sluggard’s best friend.  They are seen everywhere together.  The problem is that tomorrow never comes – it’s always tomorrow, and never today.  In the same way, the sluggard never gets fully satisfied.  Don’t believe me?  Read the Proverbs!

 “Well, I’m not like that.  I just have better things to do than work.”  OK, so what is the most important thing?  What’s the next?  And the next?  And so on?  Guess what?  You just had to work to figure that out!  Does someone feed you?  Dress you?  Bathe you?  Brush your teeth?  Chances are you’ve outgrown complete reliance upon someone else to constantly do for you.  In fact you’d be embarrassed if someone tried.  So then finish your maturing – grow up.  At some point in your life, you will have to be accountable for yourself.  The law of the land sets an age of majority, past which you are considered an adult, and are expected by society to contribute.

“OK, I’m not like that either”, you say.  Yogi Berra was a famous New York Yankee’s catcher from the 1950s, and he had an interesting way of expressing himself.  He’d say, “If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”  You need a plan, AND you need to work the plan.  There’s that word again – work.  Nothing gets done unless it gets done.  A plan without work is an unrealized fantasy.  Do you think that God didn’t work to create the earth and everything in it?  Do you think he just thought it up, and had minions do it all?  If so, then why did He rest?  He worked!  And the result was VERY good.  Check this out.  Do you think you’re more clever than God?

Here’s the hard truth about working:  Your employer hasn’t just created a job for you because he wants to employ you.  He’s expecting that you will generate value for him greater than what he’s paying you.  If you do, then he’ll likely keep you or promote you with more responsibility and authority.  If you don’t, then you’re gone.

Here’s an interesting idea:  that choice is yours.  Get your head into the game; do your job well; create value beyond your immediate compensation.  You’ll find yourself in a powerful position to generate more value than you’re being paid.  You may even be offered a better arrangement.

What do I look for when I hire people?

Character – Can I trust you with my money, my contacts, my reputation, and my resources?  Can I reasonably expect you to look out for my interests?  Will you be honest and trustworthy with me and others I care about?  Will you treat others better than yourself, while still advancing my business?

Creativity – Can I expect you to approach and solve problems by considering a variety of options, and then choosing the best one?  Can I trust you to “Just do it”?

Chemistry – Will you mesh well with others, and multiply everyone else’s effectiveness?  Life is a team sport, and so is collaborative working.

Competence – Do I think you have the necessary skills and judgment for the role?  Have you convinced me that you can get it done?

Notice this list is all about ME – my, mine, I, me, etc. – the employer’s perspective.  It’s not about you.  Ouch.  That’s a hard life-lesson.  Learn it soon, and you’ll go far.  Ignore it and you’ll be outmoded by the time your 30, and will have to fight for a long time to recover.

But what does God expect?  “Wait a minute.  I thought work was a curse – by God.  Does He expect me to choose to be cursed?”  No.  He wants to bless you by enabling you to bless others.  He expects you to work to help others help others.  The apostle Paul said it this way.

If God expects effective labor by everyone, then how arrogant must someone be to believe in being an exception?  Effective work is a matter of the heart.  It teaches you about yourself, your condition, your relationship with God, your relationship with others.  The choice is yours.