Today's industries will want to make you believe that hard work is not a biblical principle but something that comes out naturally through the efforts of man.
However, work was not made by a group of industrialists or a leader in the industry. It was made by God. The very moment God created the first man, He gave Adam the charge to work and to work hard. In Genesis 1:28 God gives Adam the command to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
God is the author of work, and He has called us to dominate, thrive and thus work hard at what we do. The charge is the same today, and God calls us to work hard. Here are some thoughts on hard work that we can learn from Biblical principles.
Principle #1 | We work hard to please God
Colossians 3:23 tells us "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." Working for the approval of others can be tough because people can be inconsistent and can want different things at different times.
Working to please the audience of One is a better idea than working to please as many people as you can. It is only for God that we were created and Him only do we serve.
Principle #2 | We work hard to help others
As we serve and honour God in everything we do, it is only natural that we respond in love for other people. The beauty about working hard to help others is that when you do so for the right people, it is only natural that those people whom you work to serve will also serve you.
That's the golden principle that is also echoed in Luke 6:31: "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
Principle #3 | Hard work is always rewarded by God
God does not let hard work that is done for Him go unnoticed. Your boss, your parents or your investors may forget about the good that you've done, but God is always just to reward us for hard work. It's not to say that God favors you more when you work hard, but the Bible does promise that hard work will be paid off in the form of promotion, incentives and even more finances.
Hebrews 6:10 tells us, "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do."
Principle #4 | It is God who gives us the ability to work hard
Work comes to us only through the grace of God. It is He who entrusts work to us and graciously provides everything so that we can always give our best in everything that we do. God doesn't need our hard work to be happy. In fact, He gives us the opportunity to work hard because it actually does us more good than it does for Him.
