Beware! We are living in a time when if something is not easy to do, we quickly turn from it and run the risk of never accomplishing anything. If a job is not “fun,” we lose interest in it and look for another one that is “fun.” Young people are getting serious in relationships far later than ever before because they are afraid to commit to something that might tie them down, and they would need to forfeit their independence. If a marriage relationship is going to require change and work, couples are choosing to drop what they have and move onto something that seems like it would be easier. This has spilled over into the church and our ministry as well. We are all for being a part of something that is exciting and where we will receive praise, but as soon as it becomes hard and no one notices, we tend to fade away.
Check out these words of wisdom I read this morning: “The sluggard [a lazy person; a person without drive or motivation to succeed] will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4). Who wants to plow when the weather is bad? Who would enjoy plowing when it is cold and there is no heater behind those oxen? Let someone else do that job … that is not for me … it is no fun! There is a principle that runs throughout Scripture that says if you do not work, you should not eat. There is another that says what you plant is what you will grow – the antithesis of that is also true – if you do not plant anything, you will not grow anything.
Some of the most uncomfortable things I have done have produced some of the greatest results. Some of the things that were not “fun” at all have added character to me that I would never have gotten otherwise. Some of the things that I dreaded doing in the past, have become some of the best “memory-makers” I have had in my life. I’m not saying that you must do things that you don’t like in order to find value. I am saying that we should not base our decisions on whether or not to do something because of the joy it will bring us.
If you want God to do things in and through your life, you are going to need to get your hands dirty in the fields of life. If you want to reap a harvest, you are going to need to plow, weed, cultivate, and then reap. Because this is hard work, there will be many people who will find excuses not to get involved, but they will never be considered a success in God’s eyes. I have a saying that goes like this: “Losers make excuses … winners make adjustments.” I want to make adjustments and keep my hand on the plow!