When God created man, he gave him a job to do. Adam was to be the tender of the Garden of Eden and the overseer of creation. That work was pleasant and enjoyable until sin entered the picture. As a consequence of man’s sin, God cursed the earth so that it no longer easily yielded the crops man needed for food. Thorns and weeds would now compete with the beneficial plants, threatening to choke the life out of them. Man had to toil and bring forth his bread by the sweat of his brow.

 

Whatever job God gives you to do, it will require you to work hard to accomplish it. But that work will be much more bearable and enjoyable if you learn to labour by God’s grace. This is particularly true of the work of sharing the gospel and making disciples. If we labor in the strength of the flesh, we will always be frustrated and disappointed.

 

We must humble ourselves and realize that we can only accomplish God’s will by God’s grace. Then we must roll up our sleeves and get busy working hard for the Lord. And as we work hard, we must rely on God’s help to empower us to do what He has called us to do.

As we are “striving together for the faith of the gospel,” we must remember that the work is God’s work and it must be done God’s way. When we cooperate with humility, hard work, and help from God, our labor will not be in vain. God’s purpose will be accomplished in our lives, and He will get the glory for it.