Prayer and Sweat

My dad’s work ethic often annoyed me, even though it deeply affected my life and that of my siblings. I never thought of this before, but prayer requires a good work ethic. Suddenly I am thankful.

If my prayers were only “God bless this food . . .” and “Now I lay me down to sleep . . .” then I would not know about the work of prayer. I’d have no experience with the battles against unseen spiritual enemies, the need to uphold other Christians as they serve God, my own need for strength in all of life, or the delight of having a two-way conversation with the Creator of the universe.

The Bible talks about the work of prayer. Jesus told His disciples a parable “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

This parable was about an unrighteous judge who was repeatedly asked for “justice against my adversary” by a widow. “For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”

Jesus pointed out that if an unrighteous judge can give justice, “Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.” (Luke 18:1–8)

However, Jesus immediately adds two important truths that concern prayer. He asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” which tells me that the work of prayer is fueled by faith. If I don’t believe that God hears and answers, I may not even ask and certainly will not persist in asking.

The second truth is in the next parable “for those who trust themselves.” From my experience, when I am thinking that way, I am not praying, or at least not asking God for His help . . .  

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:9–14)

Persistent prayer is an expression of need. It knows that without the power of God, I am helpless, as are others who serve Him. This is why Paul appealed, “By our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints . . .” (Romans 15:30–32) and why he “did not cease to pray for” others, “asking that they may be filled with the knowledge of (God’s) will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Persistent prayer happens when I know I am needy, but it is also an expression of love for others, and of making God’s plans a priority in my life . . .

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)

God teaches me that through prayer my life and the lives of others are brought into line with the will of God and are equipped to do His will in His power. Short and sweet prayers have their place, but effective prayer almost always involves more than a few words and those words are fervent and mingled with sweat.

Neither sleet, nor snow, nor mosquitoes . . .

Artist Paul Braid said he had learned an important lesson about going outside to paint. “If I let the weather keep me inside, very soon I will stop going out at all.”

The speaker at last weekend’s writer’s conference suggested something similar. “If you let rejection and setbacks hold you back, soon you will never write another word.”

The writer of Ecclesiastes offers the same wisdom . . . 

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:4–6)

Translation: if I wait for perfect conditions before I do anything, soon I will be unable to act at all. All work, effort, even obedience to God will come to a halt. Nothing will be accomplished because perfect conditions do not exist. Besides, I haven’t a clue how God might use even the smallest offerings . . . 

The conference speaker told several stories about God’s surprises with his work. He had been helped by a theologian and wanted to thank him by writing a story for him. He went for a walk with his dogs, sat down on a bench in the woods, and wrote a short story. He sent it to the man, then he forgot about it.

Months later, the theologian contacted him, praising the story and asking if he could have it printed in his college publication. The writer said yes, and it was so well received that he was asked to submit something for every issue, four times a year. He did and later, a large publisher in California called him. They had seen the articles and wondered if he would be interested in helping them with a Bible translation . . .  and the process of one thing leading to another as God used a short story written on a park bench to prosper his career in completely unexpected ways.

I’d taken lessons from artist Paul Braid in the 70’s. He died in 1999, but I’ve never forgotten how he stuck to his own advice. Nothing stopped him. He painted outdoors at times when the temperature was so cold that his oils were too stiff to manipulate, forcing him to paint from the warmer interior of his idling car. His example speaks to me often whenever I balk at doing the tasks God places in front of me.

I might balk in procrastination because of uncertainty about next step or my ability to take it. That requires prayer, but most of the time I just don’t feel like doing the next item on the chore list. I’m lazy, bored, or unmotivated. But God says to tackle all projects with zeal. He offers several motivations. . . 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the grave), to which you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Life is short and my time here will run out. I often say I will not live long enough to do all that I want to do. But there is another sense to being zealous and it is not about me . . .  

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men . . .  (Colossians 3:23)

As a Christian, I am not serving myself. Because I am following Jesus Christ and His leading, He expects me to serve Him the same way I’m to love Him — with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. That includes everything from cleaning the bathroom to writing an article, painting a landscape, and speaking to others about Him. He promises me that if I give Him my best, good will come of it.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Motivation makes a difference

Wikipedia says that the Protestant work ethic, often called the Puritan work ethic, is a concept which emphasizes hard work and diligence as a constant display of a person's salvation in the Christian faith, in contrast to a focus on religious attendance and ceremonial sacraments. Even though he never called it that, my father set an example to his family of this work ethic.

Another website claims that all hard work is based on guilt and that people are stressed at work because of this Puritan work ethic. While this is an interesting observation, I don’t think the fault lies with the Puritans. Rather, it lies with the fact that most people miss the underlying reason why the Puritans were diligent in their work. It was not from guilt or an effort to earn points with God, but to demonstrate that He was in charge of their lives. That is, with Him, motivations change.

To clarify, with Christ in charge of my life, even living in my heart, He changes my attitude toward work. If He was not here and not my Lord and Savior, then I could not have His attitude or find the joy in work that is available to Christian people. I would not even want to be diligent.

And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (John 5:16–17)

Jesus worked hard, even in the most humble tasks. He washed feet, healed the sick, listened and cared about people. While His ultimate goals were far greater than these ordinary methods, He never shirked from persistent labor. I often say that God never goes on vacation, and I am thankful for that. I can work or rest, but His care is always diligent and He is always available.

Jesus sets an example for me. He worked, but He also loved what He was doing and loved the people He served. What is missing in many modern workers is this motivation. In many cases, people complain about work because they do not do it for other people or for God. Their goals might include paying the bills and having enough left over for recreation. Workers who love what they do are rare, but just that makes a difference.

I’ve never worked outside the home, but work is work, wherever it is, and whether or not a paycheck comes at the end of it. For me, learning to love my “job” means allowing Jesus be Lord of my life. He is a homemaker (He is busy right now preparing a place for me, John 14:2). He is also leader of a family (and so often His children are brats) and an organizer of events to such a degree I cannot imagine it. He has all I need to help me not only love my job but do it well and do it for others because I love those whom I serve.

Jesus also had balance in His life. On more than one occasion, the Bible tells of Him being asleep, even during a storm. He sets an example in work and in rest, in worship and in responding to the voice of God. He knew that God didn’t take the Sabbath off, but kept working for the good of humanity. He also knew when His body needed to rest so He rested, giving Him renewed energy for obedience and work.

Motivated by Jesus is much different than being motivated by guilt, money or necessity. Jesus makes work a delight rather than a stressful and despised activity. He even promised the weary and heavily burdened that they would find in Him rest and a lighter load.

As I look at my to-do list for the day, I am already praying for His grace and help, and that I can practice what I preach!

Evil has many faces . . .

If love has many definitions, so does evil. For some, evil is anything that threatens their comfort zone or their freedom to do whatever they please. Because of this, the definitions of both good and evil become confused. That is why Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)

Biblically, evil also has many definitions, but it defines evil from God’s perspective, not our comfort. It shows that evil is anything that opposes or sets itself against God and the goodness of His character. Here are only a few verses about evil vs. good.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). God is always sincere, never pretending to be what He is not. I’m to hate hypocrisy and cling to sincerity.

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Like God, I am also to hate these things and instead cling to humility and a pure attitude.

“A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil” (Psalm 101:4). Perverse means froward, devious, contrary to what God wants. Like David who wrote this psalm, I must stay away from perverseness and instead have a pure heart that is free from evil.

However, the Greek word for evil surprises me. It is translated as “evil” 51 times, “wicked” 10 times, “wicked one” six times, “evil things” twice, and in miscellaneous ways seven times. Some of these usages show that the word is about wickedness and moral corruption, worthlessness, or having serious faults that make a thing without value. It can also refer to guilt as the result of sin, or jealousy, envy, stinginess, evil spirits, and crimes that are legally chargeable. It can also mean bad, of a bad nature or condition including the physical conditions of disease or blindness, but also the ethical sense of wickedness. In Matthew 6:13 where Christ says, “Deliver us from Evil,” the word is in the nominative case which usually denotes a title in Greek. Therefore, Christ is probably referring to Satan.

Here is the surprise part. This Greek word can mean “to be full of labors, annoyances, hardships; to be pressed and harassed by labors; to bring toil, annoyance and peril.” It can refer to a time of threat to my Christian faith and steadfastness, or anything that causes pain and trouble. Two of this word’s synonyms refer to the prominence or force related to the effort of work, and one of them refers to the resulting fatigue.

This makes me think. I know the Bible is not calling work evil, at least not the normal idea of work. What Scripture calls evil might be best seen by contrasting the above descriptions with the word used for “good.” This is agathos, a primary word mostly translated as good, and sometimes as “well” or “beneficial.” It is a descriptive word of things that have a good constitution or nature, are useful, salutary (give an opportunity for learning from experience), pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, and honorable.

There is a manner of doing work that is like that, a labor that might produce sweat, but it is good, not evil. However, there is another manner of doing work that is filled with anxiety and stress. It is fretful work that takes my mind off God. Instead of working in faith and with the joy that He gives, I am upset and pressured by doing it.

I cannot imagine God working in that second manner. He knows what He is doing and knows that He has the resources needed to do it. For Him, work is good and the result is good. He said so several times in the creation account in Genesis. He takes joy in what He does. He is not grumbling or impatient when the results are slow in coming. Work gives Him no harassment.

When I read the verse from Romans 12 about loving good and hating evil, I first thought, “Of course I hate evil,” but after taking a closer look, I realize my idea of evil was the obvious wicked stuff. After looking deeper, I now realize that being pressured and harassed by my to-do list is also part of what He commands me to abhor — because He calls that evil too. I need to do my work, but I need to cling to that which is good by tackling my list with God’s way of working, and abhor that attitude that makes good hard work an evil thing.

Purpose for hard work

When people ask me, “What do you do?” I know that they have assumed I have a job outside the home and want to know where I work. At first, the assumption annoyed me and I felt that I had to justify going against the grain by staying home and raising my children.

After the brood left the nest, I became less defensive. When the census taker asked, “Do you work?” I replied, “You bet I do,” and she apologized. I’ve also told a few people that I am a “kept woman” which often gets a chuckle, but more often a raised eyebrow. Sometimes the response is envy.

I’ve heard the line about making my contribution to society and am happy to say that I’ve three children who are making a contribution to the working world that I could never have made had I went to work and left them with a sitter. If my value to society were weighed by their reputation for the work they do, or the effort they give, or the money they make, then I could point to them and say, “This is what I do.” In that sense, staying home was a good plan.

Yet part of today’s devotional verse convicts me. The verse says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).

I’ve never stolen anything, so it is not that. I’m convicted by the working hard part. While people think that I do a lot of things, and my husband says that I work hard, I know that deep in my own heart there is a tendency to be lazy. I exercise every day but would rather not. My volunteer work often puts dread in my heart. Many times I just want to veg in front of the television, or read a book, or play computer games, or just do nothing.

While technically not stealing, this desire to abuse the time God gave me is a bit like robbery. He asks me to work hard and I don’t want to. Actually, the word in the verse refers to hard, manual work and I avoid it. Work makes my muscles sore and as I get older, hard work is less and less appealing.

The convicting part is deepened by the reason God wants this hard work. He wants me to work hard so that I will have enough to give to those in need. Aside from the kept woman joke, I’ve made a little money writing and gladly given good portions of it, but I know if I were less lazy, I could do far more for others than I’ve done.

At my age, I get funds from the federal coffers as a pension. It is easy for me to spend that money on myself, even though (again as a kept woman), I don’t need the extra money. God is generous to me, but not so I can buy more stuff that I do not need.

That is the other convicting part. A line from today’s reading says, “The worldly approach to wealth is to hoard what we acquire.” I have too much stuff. It seems the more we haul off to the Goodwill store, the more there is. The New Testament principle is to work hard at “good work” that is “useful” — not “fulfilling” nor for my own needs and purposes, but for the needs of others.

I walked by a garage sale yesterday and lingered for a moment. Then I asked the seller if he had a gadget or something that would keep people from buying more stuff, because that is what I really need. He laughed, but I think my question made him as uncomfortable as the thought of it made me.

I’m at retirement age, and probably couldn’t get a job if I tried, but by thinning out the excess stuff, and by being frugal regarding what I buy for me, I know that the money I do have could be invested far more effectively than letting it pile up interest in the bank.

A good work ethic in a booming economy

The very young clerk in a high-end women’s clothing store completes a sale while continuing a personal call on her cell phone. A bank teller, who is a bit older, makes a customer stand and wait while she finishes wrapping a Christmas gift. Two clerks totally ignore a customer standing at the till with a purchase. After waiting a long time, she gives up, puts the item on the counter, and leaves the store.

Our part of the world is experiencing an economic boom plus a huge shortage of labor. My husband’s place of work is expanding so fast that they are out of space every week, looking for floors of empty offices anywhere they can find them. The fast-food chains are importing workers from Mexico and other countries. We’ve had debates about the ethics of hiring pre-teens to work some of those jobs.

Jobs are easy to find, wages are high, and getting fired is almost impossible. My daughter is worried that this boom is going to produce an entire generation of young people without a work ethic.

I’ve been thinking about the source of the ‘work ethic’ she is talking about. People can do a good job out of a genuine concern about the customer, respect for the boss and the business they work for, and a basic honesty and desire to do a good job, OR it can be from a fear of losing their job because they need the money and have to support themselves and their family. For some, their work ethic might be a combination of both, but remove any threat to job security, and I’m sure an employee’s motivations for working will soon show up!

I opened my Bible this morning to Ephesians 4. It begins with, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called . . . .”

Paul lived out what he believed. He is the highest example, other than Christ, of someone who practiced what he preached, who lived out his code of conduct. By doing his job the way his Employer wanted him to do it, he didn’t get a raise in salary (which was zero in the first place), or a cushy retirement package. Instead, he was put in prison for his faith.

Yet Paul urged others to do the same as he did, to walk worthy of their calling, to live out their position in Christ. He exalted the ‘job’ far above any reward or remuneration, at least on this earth.

He had reasons for his work ethic. First, God told him to “spend and be spent” for the sake of the Gospel. He loved and believed in his Boss, and trusted Him to supply all his needs. He knew that his term of employment was short compared to eternity, and if he did his job well, many others might join him there, with Christ, forever.

Second, eternal rewards were more important for him than temporary ones. He knew what lasted and what did not. He kept his eyes on Christ, and focused on what was going to last. He didn’t consider short-term gain a priority.

Third, as this passage says, he saw the reality of what Christ does for people who walk with Him. He didn’t want that to be diminished but perpetuated through the obedience of His people. When I walk worthy of my position in Christ, I am adding strength to the entire Body of Christ. Each person’s contribution to our Employer is important to the entire kingdom of God.

The most important reason I can think of for Paul’s work ethic is that it was part of his new nature in Christ. When Jesus saved him, He filled this man with Himself. The nature of Christ is to give, to be honest, to care about others, to do what He is called to do without complaint or slacking off. Paul’s work ethic was part of his character as a believer in Jesus Christ and he consistently urged others to ignore the desires of their old sinful nature, and live in the incredible power of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s slacking off in the workplace is partly the result of this booming economy, but it is also a manifestation of what is going on in people’s hearts. If a person lacks integrity and a heart for others, it doesn’t matter if jobs are scarce or not—that attitude will come out. If they have a good attitude toward people, their boss, and working, that will be seen.

The bottom line for me is that because I am a saved, sanctified, and transformed child of God, I’m supposed to act like it. I’m not out there in the current workforce, but I’m still ‘employed.’ My Boss expects me to be on time, ready and willing to take on any assignment He gives me. He expects me to deeply care about the people that He asks me to serve, to be quick to do His bidding, and to remember always that He is the boss, that the pay comes later, and that my retirement package is out of this world!