The gift of work: unfortunately unopened by some people we know
By Dean Collins
I have seen the cycle with university students again and again.
Many students come to college eager to learn and grow. But there are also many who really are not sure why they chose college. In some cases, it was a parent, a grandparent, or a mentor who pushed them to attend. Some come to college with strong egos and a fantasy that their previously demonstrated glowing personality or talents and abilities in the classroom, in athletics, or with music will be sufficient to handle whatever tasks or challenges they are given. But usually, somewhere about mid-semester, there is a wake-up call. Being successful at the university actually requires work!
The wake-up call usually leads to a new routine of setting aside time to study, practice, eat more healthily, and get adequate rest. It often means a change of habits, finding some new friends who have similar goals, and deciding to attend tutoring sessions. But some students either missed the wake-up call or hit snooze when it went off. These students become lazy. They have a fantasy that somehow someone will just give them a grade in the class or a starting position on the team and that work is not required. They may have a desire to do well, but they simply choose not to do the work.
Willing to work?
To be fair this isn’t just a problem for students. As a leader in both business, the church, and various nonprofit organizations, I have seen the exact same cycle with fully grown adults. Someone gets hired in a new job and desires a successful career. They want a promotion, a pay raise, and a more impressive title. The problem, of course, is that their work ethic will never bring those things about.
This happens in the church, too. I have watched as someone realizes how much God loves them and they give their life to Jesus. The weight of guilt falls away. They experience the encouragement of others as they are invited to join small groups, attend a Bible study, and get involved in a service project. They attend church regularly but fail to grow because they thought spiritual growth would just happen. While there is nothing one can do to earn salvation, spiritual maturity requires work.
Refusing to labor?
Proverbs 21:25-26 says that the desire of the sluggard kills him, and then it explains why: “For his hands refuse to labor.” One can want success, maturity, and growth, but a regular refusal to work leads to failure.
The wise king then gives us a contrast between a righteous and a growing follower of God: “The righteous gives and does not hold back.” Growing Christians will not be stingy. They work to bring others blessing and help. Those who spend time in God’s Word, in prayer, in worship, and in community find that the work they put in creates hearts that are generous.
Thank you, Father, for the gift of work. Thank you for the privilege to be used by you to bless others. Bless the work of our hands that we might be generous in all of our dealings with others. Forgive us for times when we expect others to do the work and default to laziness. Grant us wisdom that we might see the times we must rest and refresh and the times when we join you in the work of sharing the good news far and wide, working to renew and restore the communities where we live. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Proverbs 21:25-26 ESV
Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash
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