Everyone works hard, right? No matter the religion or culture, there are hard-working people everywhere. But what is their motive? Most work out of a sense of duty, like a legal obligation. Most are “slaves” in effect, to the boss, the bank, or whoever. But Christians serve as sons and daughters. For example, my motivesContinue reading “WHY DO WE WORK? Romans 8:15-17.”
Category Archives: Hard Work/ Work Ethic
A Little Hard Work Never … 2 Corinthians 8:7-11.
When Billy Graham was a boy, the clock would chime at 2:30 a.m., waking the entire family for another day of hard work on the farm. Billy trotted off to the barn to milk twenty cows and shovel manure. After school he milked the cows a second time. The Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards spent 13Continue reading “A Little Hard Work Never … 2 Corinthians 8:7-11.”
HARD WORK IS THE RIGHT THING. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8, 10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11.
There is a notion that spiritual people should not involve themselves in hard work, but stay inside, keep their hands clean, think deep thoughts, and somehow make themselves more spiritual by doing less. That is ridiculous! Jesus had dirt under his fingernails. And a farmer’s tan. And scars on his hands from years of hardContinue reading “HARD WORK IS THE RIGHT THING. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8, 10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11.”
Write This Down! Ezekiel 40:4.
What is with these kids? Classes began last week. I had a room full of college kids staring at me as I told them about the class. I told them about myself and the way class would be structured—all the usual things. They listened but wrote down nothing. Then we began discussing the law. AndContinue reading “Write This Down! Ezekiel 40:4.”
Are You a Slacker?
Once several of us in a singing group were loading speakers and other equipment into a trailer. I teased one of the guys for being a slacker. “Slacker? Don’t call me that—that’s my nickname at work!” He was serious. I was embarrassed for him, to be honest. What an awful reputation to have on theContinue reading “Are You a Slacker?”
Whom Do You Serve?
King Jehoshaphat was not a perfect king. But God commended him for several things. One was the way he commissioned judges. The king told them: “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment.” 2 Chronicles 19:6. Think aboutContinue reading “Whom Do You Serve?”
The Capable Wife.
Chapter 31 of Proverbs is so popular it has become an adjective: “She’s a Proverbs 31 woman.” It is a great compliment—what woman would not want to be described this way? But we misread the passage when we take it literally. Consider: ‘She buys wool and flax to make things. She rises early to prepareContinue reading “The Capable Wife.”
Vocations and Avocations.
We are blessed. Capitalism, fossil fuels, electricity, and other factors have combined to make ours the richest society in history. We can survive working only eight hours a day, while some economies require much more. And that leaves room for hobbies, second jobs, and a variety of “diversions” to give your mind a restful breakContinue reading “Vocations and Avocations.”
Day Jobs and Night Jobs.
My parents were ALWAYS BUSY. The house was always clean. My dad was always repairing something, crawling under the car or up into the attic. The yard was never sloppy. We had home cooking every night, never without a salad. These were two people who absolutely HUSTLED every day. Not everyone is made that way,Continue reading “Day Jobs and Night Jobs.”
Can You Enjoy Hard Work?
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes: “I took pleasure in all my struggles.” Ecclesiastes 2:10. Have you ever stopped in the middle of hard work and caught yourself enjoying it? A friend of mine was on the rowing team at Rutgers University and worked out so hard that throwing up was an everyday thing. And one day,Continue reading “Can You Enjoy Hard Work?”
Household Words: 