One of my FAVORITE passages in the Bible is found in Hebrews 12:1-3…
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses – since non-believers are watching our lives to see what kind of God we serve, but it’s not just non-believers, it’s also Christians. Our fellow brothers and sisters are watching. We have the power, through a life lived with a passion for the Lord, to help THEM live their lives and strive to attain godliness too. As if THAT wasn’t enough, who else is watching us? ANGELS!!! Angels, God’s created beings, ALSO watch us. They don’t understand us, try to figure us out, they work with us to do the bidding (will) of God in our lives. They are watching us too. With everyone watching, saved, non-saved, and even heavenly beings, it is VASTLY IMPORTANT to do this. It’s not something to be taken lightly at all!
Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely – sin is always crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7), and carrying the burdens of this life is tough (I’m a single mom; believe me, I know!!!), but we must lay aside those things that seek to TRAP US, keep us prisoner and…
Let us RUN with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us – God has a plan for us, a specific plan (Jeremiah 29:11), He WANTS to use us. But when we are trapped with weights and sin, we cannot run and the Bible calls us to not only run for the sake of running, but to run with endurance. Run with a plan, a goal in mind. Run your guts out for Jesus Christ. And when that gets tough and the world seeks to trap us with their own worldly and ungodly things, what do we do…?
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith – When we struggle and we’re in the weeds, the world has us entangled, what’s the answer? We look to Jesus. We keep our eyes peeled, laser-focused on HIM, who is the perfecter of our faith (Philippians 1:6).
For the joy that was set before him – Jesus coming down from heaven wasn’t something He did begrudgingly. He willingly emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7) and here, the Bible goes further and says it was a JOY for Him to do this for us. A joy to die for us, it was His joy!
Endured the cross, despising the shame – There was shame placed upon our Lord, our PERFECT Lord. He was falsely accused of things He did not do. How could He? He was (and is) perfect. But they didn’t believe that; they believed their own evil agendas and testimonies from evil people. Yet still, while accused falsely, He, in His perfect beauty, ENDURED the cross. Endured the horrific event and events leading up to His death, as a human man, and He did that for us. It was His joy. If that doesn’t make you cry out of thankfulness in your heart to Him, I don’t know what will!
And is seated at the right hand of the throne of God – And, because He endured the cross, because He was blameless, because He endured, He gets a big reward, huge. He is seated at the right hand of God. He deserves this honor, and it is rightly given to Him.
So many women are busy, busy, busy. It’s all go-go-go. But the things they are working on are sporadic for the kingdom of God. There’s no rhyme or reason, no PLAN created to do the will of God, be the Proverbs 31 woman, or to do kingdom work. It’s all about whatever comes my way. It’s a more passive way to live, rather than taking the bull by the horns and chasing serving our Redeemer.
But in this passage, God is telling us that’s a WRONG way to live. That’s NOT His desire for us. To just be complacently going along with “whatever”.
No.
This is important.
This is vital. So vitally important that it’s worth dying for, on a cross, as Jesus did.
Hard work is important. It’s important not only for our own lives, finances, and personal growth, it’s also good for others to see; and it’s good for us because it produces in us endurance, which is the perfecting and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. It’s good for the angels to see us working hard and running the race, because most aren’t. And they need to see that there are some who DO genuinely care about GOD.
When you look around the world today, it is very apparent that most people do not care about God. Even many Christians go to church on Sunday like it’s some checklist. They don’t talk to Him, pray to Him, or work with Him during the week. They only cry out to Him when there’s pain or suffering. What about when everything is WONDERFUL?
Do we cry out to Him and seek Him all day every day out of a willing and teachable spirit to become more like our Christ every single day when things are going GREAT?
Hard work is important, but as this verse tells us, it’s about doing the RIGHT things. The things that count for eternity, not a bunch of random, good acts. But the things that really matter, and are hard-hitting and compelling in our world, daily (with endurance).
Point blank, this life is not ours. We don’t own it, it’s not ours. Our life is God’s. That’s what we signed up for when we gave our lives to Him. He owns it, and HE COMMANDS us (in this verse and other places as well) to work hard. It’s not optional. And being in pain and suffering doesn’t excuse us, as Jesus endured the cross. He is not asking us to do THAT.
But He IS calling us to work hard. To work with endurance. To take this life seriously and to go out there and be that witness for Him, both in our personal lives and in our public lives. And I can attest to you that working hard in this life, for Jesus, is the greatest joy in this life. Why? Because it draws you closer to your Creator.
You realize very quickly when you begin to serve and work hard for Him in all that you do, in every area of your life, that you lack. That you cannot do it in your own strength, and so it draws you close to God. You begin to rely on HIM to meet your needs, to help you endure, and to help you walk through the abuse and mocking that can sometimes come with doing His will. And THAT, my friends, is beautiful.
Here are 30 more Bible verses about hard work.
30 Bible Verses About Hard Work
1) Colossians 3:23-24
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
2) 1 Corinthians 4:12
“And we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;”
3) Proverbs 12:11
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”
4) Acts 20:35
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
5) Psalm 128:2
“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”
6) 2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
7) Proverbs 22:29
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
8) 2 Timothy 2:6
“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”
9) 2 Chronicles 15:7
“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
10) Proverbs 13:11
“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
11) Philippians 2:14-15
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
12) Proverbs 21:25
“The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.”
13) 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
“For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”
14) John 6:27
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
15) Proverbs 14:23
“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”
16) 1 Timothy 5:8
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
17) Psalm 90:17
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
18) 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”
19) Proverbs 13:4
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”
20) Titus 2:7-8
“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
21) Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
22) Proverbs 16:3
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
23) Ephesians 4:28
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”
24) Proverbs 18:9
“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”
25) Psalm 138:8
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
26) Proverbs 12:24
“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.”
27) 1 Corinthians 3:8
“He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.”
28) Proverbs 10:4
“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
29) 1 Timothy 6:18
“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
30) Proverbs 6:6-8
“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.”
