“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29.
I spent what felt like an eternity raking up leaves, mowing leaves, picking up sticks to bagging all those leaves and sticks yesterday, all while tending to my non-stop two year old. What started out as complete enjoyment began to turn into complete annoyance! So much that I was ready to have every tree cut down and removed from our yard, pay anyone who would come do it for me, and was even ready to have a leash on my two year old just so I could contain him where I wanted him to be!
Why did I start it? One because I was tired of looking at it, two I did not want to waste the beautiful day the Lord had given me, and three, I love to make my husband proud, less burdened (of which I do the complete opposite daily), and the feeling of knowing that the effort I put into it made him feel appreciated and thought about. For any of you who know my husband, you know he is a hard worker that takes so much pride in everything he does. Not because he is a prideful man, but because he finds nothing greater than seeing the fruits of his own labor. I use to think he set out to find work just to work, but that is not it at all, he loves the joy of helping and working hard, and he is a man who is to work by the sweat of his brow.
For a long time his desire to always be working did not sit well with me. Okay it still does not sit well. However I admire this quality about him, because I understand God’s word and the role of a man. I have even been blessed to have seen the fruits of his labor, in his athletes, his own children, and his co-workers. I admire and respect that God given ability about Garrett that I desire to obtain that work ethic in my own life. Garrett never tries to take the easy way out, he presses in and gets the job done and done very well, whether he likes the task or not, whether appreciated or not, and he never complains about any of it. This is the opposite for me, I complain, Lord knows I complain and I hate that, and am learning.
All of that leads me to this, in our everyday lives we try to find the easy way out, we even try to find a way to get something done without lifting a finger. Especially in our relationship with the Lord; we don’t want to have to set aside time to spend with the Lord so we wait until Sunday. Then Sunday comes and we try to slip in and out of the pews without ever getting involved. We would rather have someone else teach our children the word of God, we would rather have someone else read us the Bible, and we would even rather leave the spreading of God’s word up to others. We think we can just get by on prayer alone or mention God to someone and we are good to go.
Bologna! Jesus deserves a sold out, calloused feet Jesus spreader, who is a serve-a-holic, that moves and does for the Lord because of the fire and passion of God that burns within them.
Christ worked, He was a carpenter that took pride in His job and worked hard. He preached from one end of the earth to the other, because He loved seeing the fruit of His labor, us, and He wanted to show us through example that it not only benefits us, but it pleases Him when we work hard for His glory.
Not only did Jesus work hard, but He didn't take the easy way out of anything. Including His death!
We should want to make Him proud, appreciated and thought about. We should want to see and find joy in the fruit of pursing Christ and spreading His word in any and every job we do, big or small. Remember the three servants who were loaned money and were to invest it? The first two took what they were given worked hard and doubled it. The third servant lived in fear and laziness and did absolutely nothing with the money he was given. He buried it! He tried to take the easy way out. Well this is what Jesus says about all of that. “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29. In other words if you are not investing your time and talent in serving God and producing fruit, you too will have everything taken away, but if you invest your time and talent in serving Him, how great your reward will be. Let making Christ feel honored put pep in your step!
The easy way out is not always the best way out. Just think what it would be like if Jesus took the easy way out of His death.
Jesus thank You for not taking the easy way out during Your time here on earth, especially Your death. Help us and instill in us the mind set of working hard for You, Your glory, Your purpose, and because You deserve it Jesus. Amen
