Everyday Wisdom Work From The Heart

 Many years ago a list was prepared of seven things that are death to living a good life.  First on the list is lust – not surprising because we know the harm unfaithfulness brings to healthy relationships.  Right in the middle of the list is laziness, or in the language used in those days, being slothful. 

A lazy person is simply someone who is unwilling to work or use the needed energy to get a job done. They really don’t care about the task at hand so there is minimum output of energy and activity given. The Bible uses a stark picture to help us understand laziness.

 Some people are too lazy to take care of themselves. They will not even lift the food from their plate to their mouth.  (Proverbs 19:24 ERV) 

Each of us was created to do good work, and so  giving honest effort to a task will bring us satisfaction.  When we are too lazy to bother, our world becomes confusing, we feel less and less able to cope, and our ability to do so declines.

 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  (Genesis 2:15 NIV)

We are instructed to do the best we can with what we have.  We don’t have to be more than we are, but we are responsible to give a task all that we’ve got. God’s promise to us is, when we serve others in the best way we can, we will find ourselves receiving back much more than we ever gave out. This is not just limited to doing jobs but has to do with making space for others in our lives, even when they are strugglers and have attitudes and practices that irritate us.

 Don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance.  (Colossians 3:23 MSG)

 

Prayer:  Loving God, You created me to bless and take care of Your creation.  Forgive me for the many times it seemed too much for me to do whatever needed doing.  Help me to mature and become a person who is useful in Your service and whose desire is to work from a heart of gratitude for all You’ve done for me.  Amen

 

 

©2022 Partners in Hope 

More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/