Yesterday Husband and I had the privilege of attending the piano recital of a pre-teen girl who, in spite of the serious obstacles of hearing loss and limited opportunity to practice, is faithfully putting in the hard work toward mastery.  What a joy to celebrate the progress she has made since her first recital last Fall!

Earlier in the afternoon, we had enjoyed a graduation party to celebrate a godly young woman who worked hard in high school, was accepted by the college of her choice, and earned several scholarships.  Her hard work bought her the opportunity to work even harder at college so she can work hard at her future career in veterinary medicine!

So let’s talk about work.  I don’t mean only the jobs we have.  I’m talking about the important things you know in your heart you need to do.  That unique work that God has equipped and called you to do.  This isn’t to minimize your ‘day job’ of working for wages, or caring for your family, or being retired.  I mean what only you can contribute to the world as you do your daily life.  This important work is likely more than one contribution and will morph through the seasons of your life.  We usually think of important work in terms of those who contribute to the world in the areas of medical breakthroughs,  scientific knowledge, technological advancement, humanitarian causes, or spiritual leadership.  But did you ever stop to think about the many unnoticed people who helped make those leaders?  The mother who wouldn’t give up on her son who bombed his classes.  The teacher who took a personal interest in a student.  The employer who gave a second chance.  The husband or wife who carried more than their share to free up their spouse.

The most important work any of us does is the practical out-working of obeying the commands to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to Love our neighbor as ourselves.  Whatever work we do must express Love.  One of our teenage granddaughters recently got her first job – the non-prestigious job of working part-time after school at McDonalds.  Husband and I dropped by McDonalds yesterday because we knew she’d be working.  Sure enough, she was at the counter taking orders.  She confided to us that she was sick and didn’t want to be working.  But she greeted each customer with a kind smile and an attitude of service, going the extra mile to give the customers what they wanted.  My point is that we can do even the most mundane work with love and that lifts the lowliest position to one of great value.  Her pleasant smile and willing service matters.  This job isn’t her life work, but she is learning important lessons that are/will help her accomplish her life work.

One of my important works is writing this blog.  I feel compelled to use the gift I’m entrusted with.  I love the people, mostly personal friends, who read this blog. I believe I’ve been given the work of passing out loaves and fish to my dear readers- a simple meal for their souls.  I feel like the disciples when Jesus told them to feed the crowd.  They couldn’t do it.  They didn’t have the resources.  But they could cooperate with Jesus and just pass out the bread and fish he miraculously gave them.  I can’t magically make spiritual food, but I can pass on what I’ve received from the Lord.

But most weeks it’s a struggle.  Only rarely does inspiration for a blog topic hit me out of the blue.  Usually, I sit in front of my computer wondering what to write about that will be helpful for others.  I mentally take inventory of what I’ve been learning this week. Often I’m trying to resolve an issue in my own life.  I’m trying to make sense of something that happened.   I’m trying to overcome my own laziness, lack of fervor, fear, and lack of discipline.  I’m trying to unravel why I and others act the way we do.  The problems I faced or ran from.  The wins I made or didn’t make.  The God stories others have shared with me this week either in conversation, teaching, or by example.  Knowing that nothing in our lives is random, my experiences this week must have been for a purpose.  Part of that purpose is to pass on what I learned from them- what the Lord taught me from my experiences, so you could benefit.  

When we’re doing the important work we were made to do, sometimes the celebrations seem few and the work seems unending.  The effort feels exhausting and the advances small.  And we wonder if it’s worth it.  Our determination flags and the goal fades.  We complain about the obstacles.  We lose sight of what matters.  

The most disturbing and yet encouraging reality is when I discover the problem is me.  That’s ego deflating, but it’s the one thing I can change with the help of the Lord.  If the problem is my environment, I may not be able to change it.  I certainly can’t change others, but I can change myself.  I identify the ways I sabotage the important work I need to do.  This self-sabotage takes several predictable forms. Maybe you’ll see yourself in these.  Recognizing them helps us reject them and move forward.

What I do when the work seems too hard. 

Starting the work is too hard. (This pertains more to my other life work of giving families cherished images of their loved ones.)

    I procrastinate under the guise of preparing to do the work.  I watch a lot of tutorials and read a lot of mentorship articles.  This is important and necessary, but often times I do it when I should be actually doing the work. 

    I let myself off the hook with excuses like, “I can’t do that because I don’t have enough money, space, knowledge, etc.  But what I really don’t have enough of is the courage to put myself out there and just start.

The Messy Middle is too hard

    I procrastinate by doing other less demanding work.  I don’t like to clean house, but I’ve cleaned house many times because the work of cleaning is much easier than the work of writing this blog or building my business.

    I procrastinate by shutting off my brain with diversions like Facebook, emails, or interesting articles.  Nothing wrong with any of these, unless it displaces work time or work thought.

Completing the Work is too hard

    I use the perpetual ‘I’m still working on it.  I’m not finished yet.”  to avoid putting my work out there because I dread evaluation, judgment, rejection, and criticism.

In other words, 
I allow the urgent to push aside the Important.
I allow the easy to push aside the Important.
I allow the entertaining to push aside the Important.

What about you?  What is the important work God has equipped and called you to do?  That work that will outlast your lifetime that only you can do?  Are you dodging it or embracing it?  Are you doing your life work and your daily work out of Love for God and others?  What are you learning from your daily work that will help you accomplish your life work?

P.S. Your important work may be equipping someone else to do theirs.