Scared of Hard Work?
One misconception is that we don't have to engage in the hard work of following Christ.
Following Jesus is hard work. Although salvation is free for us who believe (it was hard work for Jesus, however), following Jesus will cost us something. This is what Jesus had to say about the cost of discipleship (following Him): "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24 ESV). I never have to question my salvation because of what Christ has already done. I am always saved by grace through faith (see Eph. 2:8-9). But I'm always evaluating my discipleship—how I'm following Jesus. Am I counting the cost? Am I putting in the work and effort? Am I doing all I can, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, to look more like Jesus every day? It takes real hard work to follow Christ properly in this world.
We shouldn't shy away from saying that following Jesus is going to take some hard work. Anything valuable in life comes at some expense. I don't know any exceptions. I wonder if some of us are simply scared of hard work? We live in a world that emphasizes convenience. We're raising children who are sheltered from doing hard work. It's no surprise that hard work is at times discarded, spurned, and misunderstood. We carry misconceptions about hard work.
One misconception is that we don't have to engage in the hard work of following Christ. Because we've received salvation as a free gift, we think that following Jesus is just as simple and easy. We mistakenly think that life will get easier because we follow Jesus. Such is not the case. In fact, according to Scripture, life tends to get harder because we follow Christ. Persecution. Spiritual warfare. Trials and tribulations. Many of us shy away from hard work because we've been brought up in an age of convenience, where we're protected from exerting too much effort and engaging in hard labor. Many things in life come so easily to us. It's no surprise that many find following Jesus really difficult. We're not used to displaying effort and hard work. I wonder if we've become too soft as human beings?
Another misconception is that hard work is dull and boring—that it's not fun. Well, we don't necessarily follow Jesus because it's fun. We have more important reasons why we choose to follow Christ—transformation, serving in God's Kingdom, etc. When compared to the available entertainment options out there (movies, video games, sports, media, etc.), following Christ looks like a drab. It's so much more entertaining to watch videos on social media than to read and meditate on Scripture. But just because something isn't "fun" doesn't mean that it isn't valuable. In fact, a lot of valuable things in life won't necessarily be considered "fun" compared to modern-day entertainment. It's not always fun to workout. But the activity is valuable for our health. Although the process of becoming like Christ isn't as fun as other things, I argue that the process is incredibly enjoyable. It's actually very enjoyable to learn and grow. It's very enjoyable to see your character and behavior change. It's actually enjoyable to do something hard and see the fruits of your labor.
Some people become discouraged when they realize that it takes hard work to follow Christ. And that's usually because of the easy and convenient lifestyle they're used to, which lends itself to an avoidance of hard work. It's best to accept now that following Jesus is going to take effort and hard work on our part (with the power of the Holy Spirit). But hard work yields something valuable in the end: Christlikeness. It's totally enjoyable to do hard things and see the fruits of our labor.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
