“Are you finished?”
“Yup.”
“Did you give it your best effort?”
“Yup.”
“Ok, so if I check your work I’m going to be really impressed with the quality of it?”
“Yup.”
Have you had a conversation like this with one of your children when you’ve asked them to do a job for you? What was your experience when you checked on their work? Was it exceptional, or was it done to a standard that was not quite up to the excellence to which you were exhorting them?
My father taught me an old adage, “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing to the best of your ability.”
I heard that over and over again when I was a teenager. I’m pretty sure it’s because my standard for work excellence was not that of my father, and he was attempting to encourage me to raise my standards.
Really what dad was saying was, “C’mon son, you can do better than that. You have the ability to do better work than that. You have more effort that you can give me. I want to ensure that you work wholeheartedly, not half-heartedly. If you don’t learn to work wholeheartedly you will end up living a life of mediocrity.”
I thank God I had a dad that regularly kicked my butt (figuratively), and told me that I can do better work than what I just did. He wouldn’t let me take the easy way out. He held me accountable to doing work to the best of my ability.
A high character value in our family was work ethic. My father instilled in me the value of a good work ethic, and I attempted to instill the same thing in our sons. I believe that a strong work ethic is a Godly character quality.
Scripture exhorts us to pursue Godliness and spiritual discipline. We are exhorted in whatever we do, to work at it with all our hearts like we’re working for the Lord, not for men. God tells us He is looking for men whose hearts are wholly His – not “half” His – “wholly” His.
I remember when I played competitive team sports, whether it be football, track or wrestling, my coaches would always challenge my effort to ensure I was giving my best;
“Really, is that the best you’ve got?! C’mon, I want more! I want more effort! I don’t think you are giving me your best!”
There was no way that I could become the best I could be if I did not have a coach who pushed me beyond what I thought was my best to discover that I, indeed, had more to offer. Beyond what I thought was possible, was a capability, a strength, an ability, an effort that my coach saw, but at the time I did not see.
I had to learn to trust the perspective of my coach, and my dad to believe that there was more I could give. That what I thought was my best, was not my best. I had more to give…
I believe the Lord treats us similarly. I believe He looks upon my weak effort at times and says,
“Really, is that the best you are going to give me?”
Sure, He loves me. Sure, He delights in me. But that doesn’t mean He does not hold me to a high standard and pushes me to give and accomplish more.
Men, God treats us like men. He sees what you are capable of. He sees the effort that you can give. He sees the strength that He has woven into your will, your heart and your being. He sees the lack of effort you are giving Him at times and exhorts you to give Him more.
All He wants is all you’ve got.
So, whatever you are in the midst of; whatever He has put into your hands; whatever may be a struggle for you right now – your work, your marriage, your parenting, your finances, your personal time with God – I encourage you to ask yourself:
“What is my spiritual work ethic? Am I giving God my best effort?
He deserves our best.
Isaiah 43:22
“Yet you have not called upon me O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me O Israel.”
Colossians 3:23, 24
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Deuteronomy 6:5
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
2 Timothy 2:15
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.”