Hardly Working?

Regardless of what you think of Stephen King—his style of writing, his subject matter, or his world view—it is undeniable that he is one of the most successful authors in publishing history. Since 1973 he has published over 40 books which have sold 350 million copies, and there are more than 30 movies based on his novels and short stories.

I'm not endorsing him, but I did read an interesting quote from him this week. To what does Stephen King owe his phenomenal success? Is it his phenomenal talent? No, here's what he said: "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."

Over the years I've known a number of writers and musicians with dreams of glory. I have seen, again and again, that the ones who plug away at their craft are the ones who go places. I know some mediocre musicians who are traveling with a band right now, I know some fairly average writers who are doing book tours right now, and I know some extremely talented writers and musicians who are working as hotel desk clerks and insurance adjusters. The difference between those who are living the dream and those who are merely dreaming the dream is a willingness to do hard work.

This doesn't apply only to artists. It also applies to salespeople and teachers and police officers and medical professionals and anybody else with a job. It also applies to ministry volunteers. It also applies to parents and spouses, and people who want to have success in their personal relationships. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

Americans have a kind of love/hate Jekyl-and-Hyde relationship with work. It's sad to say that most people I know don't really love their work—and yet, it's how they define themselves. It's where many people derive their self-esteem. That's why we often come up with impressive sounding titles to describe our work.

For example, salesperson doesn't sound high-end enough ... so we adopt the title account rep or account executive. Regardless of the title—the job still requires the same amount of effort: making cold calls, following up on clients, getting your foot in the door, polishing your presentation, hearing "no" more times than you can count, and hoping to finally close the deal. The job title doesn't really make a difference; the commitment to hard work does.

Many people find their work uninspiring, mundane, and boring. They see their job as leading them down a road to nowhere. And since they don't envision much of a future, they adopt an I'll-do-the-minimum mentality.

As George Carlin once said, "Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit."

How many times have you heard this one? You run into a friend in public and you ask, "Working hard?" Your friend replies, "Nope. Hardly working." If you live in the south you hear it a couple of times a day; it's a bit of a cliché down here.

And it is the way some people approach their work: they do what they have to do to get by. They do what they have to do to get by, to cover the basics, to get their paycheck, so that they'll have enough money in their pocket to do what they really like to do.

As Bruce Springsteen said in a song, "Monday when the foreman calls 'time'—I've already got Friday on my mind." [from the song "Out On The Street"]

There's nothing wrong with looking forward to the weekend. There's nothing wrong with leisure. But it's a little crazy to live five days a week in anticipation of two. It's also a little crazy to live eight, nine, ten hours every day in anticipation of a couple of hours in front the TV.

This is not how God wants it to be. It's an unavoidable fact of life that we all have to work, we all to earn a living to support ourselves and feed our families—but I want you to understand that work doesn't have to be just something you endure. Work is not a curse from God—it's a blessing.

King Solomon said, "There is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work..." (Ecclesiastes 3:22) He also said, "That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:13)

This week nearly everyone will spend 40 to 50 hours doing their job. That's more time than you will spend in prayer or Bible study, more time than you will spend at church, more time that you will spend talking to your spouse or children, more time than you will spend doing just about everything else.

For this reason it is important—it is absolutely crucial—that we approach our work with the right attitude.

In the book of Colossians, Paul said, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Colossians 3:23)

Whatever your job is—whether it's your chosen career or you're just biding your time until something better comes along—God's will for you is to work hard. His will is that you give yourself 100% to your job while you're on the job.

I know this isn't always easy. Some of you work in unpleasant situations for and with unpleasant people. You put up with low pay, lack of appreciation, and backstabbing co-workers. I understand how it is. So did the Apostle Paul. That's why he included the phrase "as working for the Lord, not for men." And--he went on to say, "...you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:24)