Worth the Work

This weekend I spent a few hours with a friend from church and a couple of preteen girls that ride our bus. It was a very enlightening experience.  

photo courtesy of vitasamb2001/freedigitalphotos.net

While we were out one of the girls causally commented that she didn't want to have kids because they seemed like a lot of work. I think that's a very common attitude now. But I had a simple answer. Anything that's worth doing is a lot of work. Anybody doing anything is working hard. The other girl said that she didn't like work. And being the encouraging person I am I told her that life was work and they should learn to like it; they'd enjoy life more. 

One thing I will be forever grateful for is that my parents taught me to work. We worked when we were growing up. And I'm not scared of hard work now. But I've discovered that most people expect life to hand them what they want on a silver platter (free iPhone, anyone?)

Whatever happened to working hard? Work is applauded in the Bible. Just read through Proverbs and discover what God says about work. We can get up early, stay up late, work when we'd rather sit, knuckle under the load, persevere through the difficulties. That's how you get the job done. That dream you have? That's how you'll accomplish that. Work. Not luck. Not someone discovering you. Work. 

Making a home is work. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands: all work. And even more than that is tending the hearts that are growing there. You have to discipline for wrong behavior, train in the good behavior, teach, and care, and nurture every day. You have to put aside yourself for what's best for those others. 

Working at church is work. Cleaning, practicing the music, cooking, working with kids, working with adults, running the sound, playing an instrument, working in the nursery, teaching Junior Church, riding the bus. All work. 

Sometimes I hear people whine about how nobody has it harder than mothers. Yes, being a mother is a lot of work. That's because it's something worth doing. But my husband works just as hard as I do. He works a lot of hours at his job to provide for us. He comes home and works in the yard, works at church, plays with our boys, does more stuff for work. He doesn't get a lot of time to plop on the couch and do nothing. 

I have friends that work jobs. They work hard. They work hours at their jobs and go home and take care of their homes and their marriages. They work at church. They work when they help others. 

Let's talk about doctors. All of the doctors that I (or my children) have work hard. Long hours, disagreeable people, problems they can't fix. And that's just on their jobs. They have families and other responsibilities as well. The list goes on and on: pastors, single moms, teachers, farmers, you get the idea. 

So can we just agree that we're all working hard? And that, thankfully, it's because we have work worth doing? Let's stop the pity party. Instead of whining that nobody has it as bad as you, because, well really? You honestly believe that? Nobody else does either.  Stop comparing your life to someone else's; find your work and do it well today.