Hard Work as Worship: Paul's Lesson on Grace

We can learn a lot from Paul...“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”1 Corinthians 15:9-10 We all have career dreams, relationship hopes, and financial plans that we run after with determination. Maybe we are sacrificing more than anyone knows to overcome an addiction, serve our family, or help others in need. Like Paul, we know hard work.Still, there’s something about hard work we can learn from Paul, and it’s not just that we should be doing it. Hard work isn’t just how we get somewhere great tomorrow. Hard work, poured out to God, is something great today.Paul knew he worked harder than many, but he also knew he wasn’t greater than anybody else. We don’t work hard to get grace, we work hard because we got it! Bam!Where does hard work get us? Without Christ, it’s not much more than a difficult way to reach the end. With Christ, hard work itself can be a gift. It’s a reminder of His grace in our lives, and it’s our very best lived out as a worship offering back to Him. So work hard on your relationship with Christ and reap what you sow. Be Nice. Grace wins. FMJ*please accept my apologies to some of these group for getting out late yesterday. I had to buy a new phone and some of the groups wouldn’t send. I think it’s sorted now and we are back to our regularly scheduled messages. Thanks for understanding.