{Sunday Teaching] Whole-Hearted Work #2—Why Work Is Hard (Genesis 3:17-19)
Read moreDust Oriented, Breath Oriented, or Both? (Genesis 2:5-7)
With conditions perfected, God made the first man from the **dust from the ground**. Everything had been readied, so now God fashioned humanity from the soil, the raw material of the earth. Man came from the dust of the earth. (2 Minutes/500 Words)
Read moreHow Jesus Helps Us Work Hard (Proverbs 20:4)
Nearly everyone has a vision of the good life. We can all easily project out to our latter years. We all have an idea of the ideal future. It will look different for each of us, but there will be some common themes. (10 Minutes/2600)
Read moreArchival Post: Intoxication Hurts People
Tortured children. Abused wives. Threats and murder. Unfinished jobs. Shattered lives. Broken vows. Rampant STDs. Abounding hurt. The results of drunkenness are all around us. Don’t be deceived by the ad campaigns. It isn’t all happy times. It's not all "Dilly Dilly." Impairment of the senses leads to unchecked evil. The dangers of alcohol abuse are all around us. (2 Minutes/250 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: Ease Today, Pain Tomorrow
The wings strain. Push. Press. Push. The caterpillar has become a butterfly, but the struggle to extricate itself from the cocoon is violent. Force exerted. Energy expended. Pain, real and true. With all strength spent, the wings function. No more crawling along. A flier is born. (1 Minute/300 Words)
Read moreUnited In The Home -- Fathers (Ephesians 6:4)
One might read Paul’s words to Christian children in Ephesians 6:1-3, particularly his exhortation to obey their parents, and wonder if the Christian home is a cold and harsh place for kids. Nothing could be further from the truth, for as the mind of Christ fills His church, fathers and mothers grow to become more like Jesus. (3 Minutes, 600 Words)
Read moreEase Today, Pain Tomorrow (Proverbs 20:21)
“An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.” (Proverbs 20:21 NLT).
The wings strain. Push. Press. Push. The caterpillar has become a butterfly, but the struggle to extricate itself from the cocoon is violent. Force exerted. Energy expended. Pain, real and true. With all strength spent, the wings function. No more crawling along. A flier is born.
The proverb above communicates the idea well. Too much success, influence, or wealth without any struggle often leads to pain in the end. It is better, in the end, to fight, battle, and struggle your way to success.
I only want to work in my area of passion, says one. I want to find deep fulfillment in my work, says another. I want…I need…I wish…I hope. But I must die. You won't discover your passion if your life is not tested with hard work, devotion, and submission. We find fulfillment through sweat, struggle, and pain.
We must not forget that we are not our work, our influence, or our life’s successes. We are children of God, walking on the dust of the earth, surviving by grace. He walks with us through all we think mundane. But does he? Does he not love our work, our breaths, our perspiration? We ought not to think he is disinterested in the daily grind of life. He loves the process, the growth, the building up of strength.
If you are young — sure — find your passion. But also find work and labor. Find faithfulness and struggle. Find the joy which comes from paying the bill and feeding the belly. Sleep the slumber of the hardworking man or woman and you might discover passion isn't everything. Living out your dream is not everything. It can be hazardous to get it too early in life, the proverb says. Spill some blood. Shed some tears. Drip some sweat. And watch the living God make you fly.
Work When It's Hard! — Proverbs 20:4
2 Mintues / 300 Words
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