The Final Step…Productive Effort

Ephesians 6:5-8; “Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (NIV)

As indicated in my previous posts, putting forth productive effort not only involves working hard and smart but we need to make sure we use our time effectively, avoid excuses, learn from our setbacks, and remain teachable.

I know people who do all of the above but are stuck in a work situation or are working for an organization or playing on a team where putting forth productive effort doesn’t seem to matter. No matter how hard they try or how productive they are, they never seem fulfilled because whatever they do is never enough.

In Ephesians chapter 6 above, Paul reminds us that our effort should never be dependent upon who we are working for in the flesh because no matter what we do, we are to serve wholeheartedly as if we are working for the Lord.

Something else to consider is the fact that God owns everything and at the end of the day we are always working for Him.

“To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14 NIV).

Therefore, we should always put forth our best effort no matter who our earthly “masters” are…that is if we are walking the Christian walk. What is even cooler is the fact we will be rewarded for doing this…“the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does whether he is slave or free.”

Once we understand Who we are working for, the final step in putting forth productive effort is to seek God’s guidance and direction with our work. If we do this, no matter how difficult the task or the task master, we will be rewarded and always succeed because God is one boss who always wants us to succeed.

I’ve sought God’s direction and help for the last 22 years of my business career and it has been nothing less than amazing because I had a Boss who wanted me to win.

Work hard, work smart, avoid time wasters, avoid excuses, know there will be setbacks and always remain teachable, but most importantly never forget who the Boss is and you will be blown away by the results of your effort.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch.com

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