It Takes Hard Work

"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If you want to have a great life, you have to work hard. Accomplishments and victorys in life bring fun and fulfillment. Winning a high school soccer championship with your team, or completing a computer project at work gives a sense of accomplishment. However, accomplishments usually take great discipline and hard work. Tiger Woods wasn't born with a great golf swing. Thomas Edison worked miserably hard as an inventor. My daughter, Abbie, spent years working out several times a week to become a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. When I was working on my first CD, I spent many extra hours redoing melodies and lyrics.

The key, of course, is that we work hard for worthy projects and for the right reasons. Too many people have worked hard to the detriment of their health and their families. We need to learn to work hard, yet keep balance in our lives. Keeping some of the disciplines of life, like a daily devotional time, exercise, Sunday Church attendance, and a day off, can help keep balance in our lives.

But let's be honest, things and accomplishments of value rarely come easy. If you want to be productive, you will have to sacrifice. Therefore, it is critical we choose to give our time and effort to worthy causes. Let us work hard at what will encourage others and help our communities. Let us work hard at what will help our Christian witness at work. Let us be diligent in providing for the financial, emotional, and spirtual needs of our famlies.

The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, do your work heartedly as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will recive the reward of the inhertance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." This kind of motivation will help us pick and choose how we spend our energy and time, and help us have proper attitudes when we are putting in long hours and making sacrifices to accomlish our worthy goals.