Labor and Sin

Sometimes I find myself wishing that things just came my way, that life were easy and I did not have to strive for anything that I have. Most of the time this does not happen, I have to work for what I have and put forth some semblance of effort into everything. This reveals a few things. First, that my desire is for the perfect world that God first created. In the beginning we were given all that we needed, we needed to do nothing to have everything, however, this did not last, sin made sure of that. This brings me to the second thing this reveals, it was sin that made labor necessary for us. It wasn't until Genesis3 that the earth demanded labor to bear its fruits. It was when sin entered the world, when man first failed to have perfect obedience to God's commands, that labor as we know it began. The last thing it reveals is my own selfish desires, I do not desire to work and so I do not work as hard as I should. Yes, it is good that I desire God's perfect plan and it is also good that I recognize that the reason we must labor is because of sin, but it is not good that I do not work as hard as I should.

The Lord said that in whatever we do to do it as if we are doing it for Him. In remembering this then we need to think about how hard we work when it is something we desire. If you desire something enough you work very hard for it, you will push forward until the point of exhaustion and if it is important enough you push beyond that. To us, as believers, there is nothing more important than God and His saving grace. If then what we desire is fellowship with God and to please Him and He says to do everything as if He asked you to do it, then we need to desire this above all other things, to strive for it, to put forth the same effort in all things that we put into what we desire. For me, this gives me fresh conviction to strive harder to do better in all things I endevour in. I want to ensure that I am remembering this truth always, that I work for the Lord and not for man.