day 412: Work Hard?

Should we work hard? Seems like a silly question doesn't it? Of course we should work hard and our work ethic should drive us to do so. But, not everyone is the same when it comes to this topic. According to the Pew Institutes Research, the last four generations (The Greatest Generation, Silent Generation, Baby Boomers and Generation X) all counted work ethic as a significant part of what defines them. But the newest generation, The Millenials, don't have this in their definition. It's not that they mind work, it is just that when put in the context of the rest of their lives it's not as important and maybe therefore, they just don't see hard work as important as the rest of us. Guess what, we are all going to have to adapt to understand this better over the next decade. What makes any of us want to work hard is that we have something meaningful to work towards. We all can remember one of those situations where we have worked all night on a project and ate the pizza more than once and while we really didn't want to be there, there was no place that we would rather be. Why? Because we felt that work was important and we were making a difference and what we were doing was important at the time. This makes the hard work worth it. I also think that there times when we are called upon to work hard and for us to set the right example we need to dig deep and know that we need to live up to the expectations of others. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy write to the church in Thessalonica and they make it clear that sometimes work will be hard but the expectation is that we pull our weight. They say to the people there in Chapter 3:10; "Even while we were there with you, we gave your this rule: 'Whoever does not work should not eat." That means, they were expected to work, work hard and if not, then the most basic of rewards would be withheld. Maybe we are taking for granted that someone needs us to work hard this week. Maybe with just a little extra effort and oomph we can not only live up to expectations but also exceed those needs. When we do this, I believe we open up the door for more to come our way, but also earn the respect of others, which can lead to our examples being ones that others want to learn about and follow. A little hard work can go a long way.

Reference: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (New Living Testament)

day 105: Let There Be No Doubt

Let there be no doubt, that if you want to get in trouble at work, then don’t work hard or pull your own weight. No one likes people who don’t work hard and give it their all, but if you want to see how the Bible describes how employers feel about those who aren’t quite up to snuff then look no further than Proverbs 10:26: “Lazy people are a pain to their employer. They are like smoke in the eyes or vinegar that sets the teeth on edge”. That’s pretty descriptive wouldn’t you say? How hard someone is perceived to be working is many times situational and can be as much emotionally determined by others as what is really happening. Bosses especially are vulnerable to the changing perception as they fall under stress for deadlines and/or results. But, if the perception of laziness is so distasteful that it is like vinegar on the teeth, then you can believe it is important to stay on the right side of that perception. One way to do this is to ensure that there is open communication between you and your manager and that you are doing all that you can to be in tune with what the hot buttons are in the business. More importantly, if you continue to show that you want to be one step ahead, go the extra mile, and do whatever it takes to get the job done, then you will be setting a great example for others and you can expect that your manager will be beyond satisfied with your performance. Our purpose is to bring glory to God within our work and I believe with all the references in the Bible to hard work and like this verse, to not be lazy or idle, God becomes pleased when we are using our talents to our full capability and capacity. And when God is pleased then we can know that we are doing all the right things and we can live and work without any doubt of what is expected from us.

Reference: Proverbs 10:26 (New Living Testament)

day 95: Prosperity Means Hard Work

I know few people who work without hoping to get ahead and also add to their financial security. It is Biblical that prosperity can come from hard work. Proverbs 12:11 says just that, “Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time”. We are expected to work for our rewards and if we want to enjoy prosperity then we are to not only work, we are to work hard and not be foolish with the time we have. Idling away our time is defined as being for fools. I sometimes find it hard to discern between what is idling time and ensuring that I get enough rest and downtime to keep the batteries charged so that I can work hard. I don’t think that finding time to renew ourselves physically and mentally before or after our hard work is being idle with our time. We all know those who are foolish with their time and we watch them waste their potential. Most, I would say are far from being that way, but there are certainly some who just never get it together. Working hard is also a subjective measure. I know when I have put in more than my fair share on a project or a piece of work because when I am done I feel like I have gone the extra mile and pushed myself. It is also in those times that I feel like I have grown and strengthened myself. It is clear that if we want prosperity that we are going to have to be willing to work hard. It certainly is a choice that we get to make individually each and every day. Today, when faced with the challenges of work and the rewards that come from it, continue to ask yourself as to whether or not you are giving your best to the task at hand or are you finding yourself taking shortcuts or not putting your all into your job? Now may be the time to recalibrate yourself and find that extra gear to ensure that you are working hard at what you do and setting yourself up for the prosperity that can be yours.

Reference: Proverbs 12:11 (New Living Testament)

day 22: Yeah, Work Is Hard Too

Yesterday I referenced Proverbs 12:24 and said that leadership demands hard work. Yes it does but let’s face it work is hard as a whole too and the sooner in our work lives that we accept this fact the better off we will be in finding how to realize joy and purpose from the work we do. Where did this work thing start and how did it get to where it can be a burden in our lives? Well, we can go back to the beginning when Adam and Eve got themselves thrown out of God’s Club Med and their idyllic garden spot. Beyond passing down sin to the rest of us, Adam bequeathed to us the curse of hard work. In Genesis Chapter 3 we get the blow by blow and the particular verses of verse 17 ("...I have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”) and verse 19 (“All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day”) are pretty grim. But, once you get over it and understand that work is always going to be hard and some days will be excruciating, and that it just comes with this human territory, then you can make sense of it and try to manage work life to more than just a struggle and sweat. Someone once said to me, “I don’t like gravity much either and I would prefer it wasn’t harder every day to get out of bed, but I have learned to live with it”. I like that attitude and I like the recognition that there are times in our life when our work will seem really difficult and the only thing we want to do is pack it in and run away. However, we can draw on the fact that it was all set up for us this way. Hard work was not something we created ourselves. It is not something that we are to shy away from or feel like we are being robbed of life because we have to do it or that we are somehow cursed or being punished or unfairly treated. It is part of our human experience and like gravity; it is something that if we can accept then from it we can make the most. My hope for you today is that you don’t head to the office with the feeling of resentment, or feeling burdened down, but instead that you take these feelings and convert them to a rational realization that the hard work you do today, and tomorrow, and the next day, is just all part of life and that there are blessings that can come your way from how you do your work and how others view your attitude and performance. Can today not be a great day that you feel uplifted with what you have in front of you? Sure it can!


Reference: Genesis 3:17-19 (New Living Testament)