Wisdom For LivingSample

Vocational Wisdom: Execute with Excellence

Routine work may not be sexy, but it is necessary. We must meet our needs and the needs of those who depend on us. The same work—day in and day out—can seem simple and even boring, but it is a test of our faithfulness. Will I continue to faithfully carry out uncomplicated responsibilities, even when my attention span dwindles? This kind of faithfulness is God’s path to blessing. “Steady plodding brings prosperity” (Proverbs 21:5, TLB).    

The contrast to routine work is chasing after get-rich-quick schemes that make promises they can’t keep. Be careful not to be led astray by fantasies that lead nowhere. It is false faith to think a gimmick or some conniving circumstance can replace hard work. Wisdom stops chasing after the next scheme and sticks instead to the certainty of available work. What does your spouse say is the smart thing to do? Give them all the facts and listen to their response to gain wisdom. 

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour” (Hosea 8:7).

Work can seem easy when everything is going well—when there is no evidence of a pending job loss or an increase in responsibilities with less pay. However, it is during stressful times that Christ-followers can step up and set the example. Your attitude of hope and hard work is a testimony of trust in the Lord.

So stay engaged in completing your tasks with excellence even when it’s hard, and you will inspire others to their labor of love. Your routine work can be an act of worship of the Lord if done with that attitude. He will bless your faithfulness to follow through with the smallest of details. Routine work with the right attitude reaps a rich reward. Are you content to serve Christ in your current career?

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).