“The greatest asset you have is your ability to earn” – Dave Ramsey (paraphrased)
Somehow we have come to see work as a necessary evil instead of the gift that it is.
Some root causes for seeing work as a necessary evil:
- Many of us are not doing the work that we are best suited for
- Work is actually plentiful enough in our country that we take it somewhat for granted
- We tend to think we deserve to be paid more, while believing we are actually worth less (or, sadly in some cases, worthless)
- We view work as being all about our own well being, instead of working to help others
- We have buried ourselves in so much debt that we trap ourselves in jobs we hate (or is it that we come to hate the jobs we have because we don’t have the freedom to leave?)
- Some of us are just plain lazy
So what do I mean by work being a gift?
Think of your favorite super hero. They all have some special power or ability that we identify with and wish we had. But those of you who know your super hero’s story, know that their special power comes with a price, something they must struggle with, but are willing to because they have the ability to make an impact in the lives of others.
Your work, your ability to earn, is your own super power. Yes, it comes with a price (you have to “work”), but the rewards far outweigh the price.
Consider the following rewards for doing your work well:
- Working hard generally leads to being paid more
- Working is the only way to earn enough to get out of debt
- If nobody worked, you would starve to death, or die of some lame disease because no one worked to cure it
- Doing your work well improves not only your life, but the lives of those around you
- Work is a gift from God (Adam and Eve were charged with taking care of – “working” in – the garden of Eden). It only became hard after they messed things up and were banished from the garden.
- Working hard makes leisure and rest that much more refreshing and enjoyable
- Being known as a hard worker will get you hired twice as fast as a fancy degree, high GPA, or even pedigree in most places
- Doing your work, again, creates the opportunity for you to change lives (are you getting this?)
Brother Lawrence was known to sing and worship while doing the most menial of tasks – he viewed work as worship, something to be done well simply because it had been entrusted to him by God.
Work hard. Get out of debt. Find the work you were meant to do. Do it well.
It might even be fun.