Work Harder?

Jeff Peper
Written By Jeff Rybacki
 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8 (ESV)

If you’re like me, you probably find yourself with more to do these days than ever before. We must make staffing cuts at work; we need to take work cheaper than we ever have in the past in order to make sure we don’t run out should the effects of COVID continue to plague our country indefinitely. I find myself committing to more and more tasks because there is no one else to do them, not to mention the tracking of all the COVID initiatives that my company has undertaken to keep our employees safe. I find myself working longer hours, with less closure to tasks and a general sense of unease when I return home at the end of the day. I hate to admit it but I’m being anxious about too many things.

So, where do I often run when confronted with these problems? Not my Lord and Savior, but rather myself. I’ve known since my teenage years where I should go when I have problems, I’ve known it is best to pursue God, yet I continue to try and work harder, be more organized, delegate better, instruct better, run meetings better, be more decisive, but in the end it is not enough. Nor will it ever be enough. There will never be enough of me to cover all the tasks that need to be covered. There will always be more work than any one person can handle.

When thinking about this passage, the American thing to do is to read the first couple sentences and assume that is the inspiration we need to take. I should be thankful for the stressful situation because it will make me a stronger person. As the saying goes, “Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” Yet in reading the verses that follow we are given no such instruction.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God...”

This admittedly is not where my mind goes when I encounter stressful situations. I absorb the situation and then try to deal with it. Rarely do stressful situations call for more time in prayer, and meditation on scripture in my life. In fact, they drive me to pursue those things less and less. It should be no wonder that my stressful situation intensifies when I don’t bring these things to God.

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Chuck Swindoll often says, “This makes for great preaching, but it makes for hard living.” So, my devotional today is primarily aimed at what I need to hear, but if I need to hear it you might also. If you find yourself in a similar situation as me, I would encourage you to step back and find quiet times of rest in God. The work will still be there, likely you still will not finish everything you hoped for, to be honest you weren’t going to finish it anyway! Why not cast your burden on the one who can bear it? Why not use it as an opportunity to grow closer to your God?

Jeff Rybacki
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