Slavery, as a rule, does not produce hard workers but people who LOOK LIKE hard workers. People will not work hard if they believe they have no control over their work. But slaves will say “yes sir,” and hustle and SMILE as though thrilled with their work. But once they’re out of sight, the smile and hustle vanish.
Children do the same. As a child, I did little for teachers because I felt like a slave: I was forced to go to school, I hated the work, and the value of good grades was so remote it meant nothing. (Get into a good college? Who cares?)
By contrast, an adult with power over his own life–with agency–says, “No one owns me. I OWN this work, this class, this project. If I work hard, it will pay off for ME.”
People work hard for cash. Cash is CONCRETE and IMMEDIATE.
But the rewards for success in school are ABSTRACT and REMOTE.
They are abstract because they include things like knowledge of a subject your friends never heard of, and a better GPA that may or may not result in more earning power; and they are remote because they include ideas such as ‘I will become well-educated, but it will take years, and is it even worth it?’ and ‘I MIGHT earn more money someday, but I might not.’
Maturity is what you have when you can stay motivated as rewards become more and more remote.
If you can stay motivated for an 18-week semester in a boring class, knowing the payoff is not cash but an abstract gain in education and a good GPA, that is maturity.
Being an adult means OWNING your life and working hard when the payoff is extremely remote.
“Slaves, … don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it as working for God, rather than men. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” Colossians 3:22-23.
“It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Do your work in a way that honors Him—and you will reap tremendous benefits!
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