Doing What You Don’t Love

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Her grades weren’t good. When we confronted her about them, she exclaimed, “School’s so hard! I don’t like it.”

“We understand,” my husband, Kyle, responded calmly. “We know it’s not your favorite thing to do, and it’s challenging, but the truth is, you haven’t really been trying very hard. That’s why your grades are poor. And that’s a big difference from not doing well when you’ve tried your best.”

She stared at us, not saying anything. She knew that it was true. My daughter has many talents, and she is incredibly driven and creative. She works hard at activities she enjoys. But my husband and I want her to learn that sometimes we push through to accomplish goals in some aspect of our life, not because we enjoy it, but because it’s necessary.

“Let’s look at what needs to be done and make a plan,” Kyle said as she pulled out her computer and we sat down to figure out how to finish her schoolwork.

We may face challenges even in activities we enjoy, but true character grows when we do the hard thing that we don’t want to do but know that we need to do. With something that we’re not passionate about, interested in, or engaged in, it takes a different kind of determination to stick it out when all we want to do is quit.

One way we can keep motivated is to remind ourselves that whatever work we do, we’re doing it for the Lord and not for the approval of others. God knows, sees, and rewards the endeavors we put our hands to, even when they’re challenging to us, even when others don’t notice, and even when they’re not exciting. He is pleased when we gratefully honor him with our hard work, even when it’s something we do not love to do.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

What is something you have to do that you just don’t love? How would your attitude toward that task change if you saw yourself as completing it to please the Lord?