So this morning I was at the gym, there is a lady who comes to my cardio/strength training class every time I’m in there, but when she comes she doesn’t actually do the work. She’s in fairly good shape, no health issues; she just doesn’t actually do the work before her. When we are using weights, she doesn’t, when we squat, she bends, when we kick/lunge, she taps her toes, when we jump she just kind of sways. At the end of class when everyone else is sweaty and collapsing, she looks like she’s been doing office work. Now there’s no reason she can’t do that, no rule saying she has to actually put an effort forth. No one is going to rebuke her and call her a tourist. Here’s where the problem comes, she believes that continuing this action will yield the same results as all the other people who are literally working their butts off.
This sums up to me where a lot of people are in various points in their life, maybe they are in denial, confused, too prideful, or just oblivious. We feel like we have this sense of entitlement that we can get something we don’t work for, that we don’t earn. I’m all about Grace, I really am, I know that we live and thrive under a savior who makes it His plan/joy to give us things we don’t deserve. There is impracticality when we expect our daily lives to yield the same unmerited grace we get from Jesus.
This sense of entitlement carries over into all the areas of our lives. It pours into our faith, marriages, work ethic, children, into everything we do. We stand back and expect things to grow, mature, prosper and thrive in our lives, without the work.
This sense of entitlement carries over into all the areas of our lives. It pours into our faith, marriages, work ethic, children, into everything we do. We stand back and expect things to grow, mature, prosper and thrive in our lives, without the work.
When I was out of high school I spent several years working at Waldenbooks. I literally spent 80 percent of my time there leaning on the counter, reading comic books. I took pride in certain areas, but had no initiative. I did this knowing the results, I would get paid $7.25 an hour (12 years ago), and read free comics. I got exactly what I put into it. When promotions were offered, or more responsibility came about, I passed. That was my plan; I was only working there through college and while I raised missionary support. There are people that put that same effort into their lives, but expect more to come from it. People go from situation to situation in their life putting in minimal effort and coming up surprised by the result. Often said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result” If we don’t put more effort into our lives, how could we ever hope to get more out.
When you don’t put the proper preparation into things, the outcome can be disappointing. I have a race/obstacle course called “Rugged Maniac” coming up on April 9th. It’s 3.1 miles with 14 navy seal obstacles. If I went into this thing without prepping for it, I would most likely keel over and die. Since January I’ve been steadily increasing my exercise routines, getting harder as I go along, I’ve begun attending training classes, running etc. Staring Thursday I’m going to run a minimum of 2 miles a day and restrict my diet severely. All this is to say I want to finish this race, I want to do well, I don’t care about speed but I have desires for it, so I’m putting in the necessary work.
This same thing applies to your marriages, dating relationships. If you aren’t putting the necessary effort into a relationship, then it’s going to lacking for you and your significant other. Taking the time to get to know someone you are dating, invest in their family if you are serious, actually not only attend pre marital counseling but apply what you are taught, be faithful and loving apply Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” then watch the outcome of your relationship. You have to do the work to maintain a good relationship. I know I am a rookie parent, I know that I only have 4 years total parental experience, but the same applies. If you don’t do the work to enrich, nourish, and love your children. They suffer for it. I know you can be a fantastic parent and still have buck wild kids, but the fact is you can often see the difference in kids whose parents make an effort.
I’ve worked with students for a long time (99-to the present) and time and again I’ve seen students who fall short, not because their material is too advanced or difficult, but because they didn’t do the work. They get caught up in everything outside of the classroom to the point that education becomes a back burner concern. Then when they are collapsing from the pressure of impending failure they try to scurry to resolve it. Sometimes they skate by, but often times they fall flat.
If you feel like you don’t have any real friends, are you putting more into your friendships than social networking?
If you are saying to yourself “I’m just not getting anything out of church, or the bible” or “I don’t like my church”, what are you putting into it?
Honestly ask yourself “What are the areas in my life I am frustrated with?” Then ask yourself “What are the areas of my life I’d like to see improve?” Then ask yourself “How many of these areas am I honestly putting in all the effort that I can? I truly believe if we are making the effort to truly put the work into all these areas in our lives, we would see a noticeable improvement.
Colossians 3:23 states “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” God commands us to work with all the effort we can, for him, not for men. That men also includes not working just for ourselves either. In every situation we approach we should put enough effort into it that we would be comfortable to present it to God
My drive and initiative greatly increased in my late teens/early twenties, largely in credit to Bobby Williams (director at camp grace). I was always a very “enthusiastic” worker, but I often had to be pointed out when something needed to be done, or I would only do minimal work (i.e. my previous Waldenbooks reference). Bobby really helped me recognize this and turn it around it me. I remember one day I was doing some form of yard work, and I was meandering around, and when I felt I had done enough I just hopped in my car and went home. I left his tools/weed eater/etc outside, no clean up. All the stuff got rained on and pretty messed up. We talked sometime after that and he really helped me focus. Over the years of working in a small staffed ministry, or being in leadership, having drive and initiative became essential because if you didn’t do it, it simply didn’t get done. That is true overall for our lives, we have to take the responsibility and initiative to bring progress into our lives. Not saying God doesn’t have a hand in it, but if we aren’t putting the effort he guides us to, why should we expect a different result?
When I wasn’t satisfied with my education level I re-enrolled in college during my spare time, when I felt like I wasn’t a good enough husband I stepped my game up, when I felt I was unhealthy I changed my habits, I know that God gets all credit for it, but if I just sat by idle and waited for God to do this stuff in me, I’d still be in the same spot or worse.
If there is an area in your life (love , romance, family, college, church, education, fitness, etc) that you are just unsatisfied, discontent, unhappy, or unfulfilled in what you are getting, you should really ask yourself what you are giving.
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