We have grown up in a society where we are always looking for the easy way out. We are often told to work smarter, not harder. There was a poster that was hung up in one of the classrooms in high school that I never put much thought in until recently. It made a simple change to that statement: "work smarter and harder."

I do understand the point of the original statement. For instance, it's not very logical to carry a heavy suitcase from when you first get to the airport until you board if you have wheels on the bottom of it and you can just pull it along behind you. That way you're not carrying the full weight of it. All too often though, I find myself missing the value of working hard. Which is why I like the idea of working smarter and harder.

Working hard is not a bad thing. People tend to think that the harder you work, the more it seems that you're doing something wrong. What's so wrong with hard work though?

By instilling in yourself a good work ethic, you set yourself up for success. You heavily combat the habit of being lazy, which no one truly values in a person.

It's especially important when you are passionate about something. If you're passionate about your job, doing work assignments just to get them done, and in the quickest way possible does not show passion. Completing the assignment to the best of your ability, however, shows you care. When people see how hard you work, it tells them that you actually care about something and are willing to work to make it the best that you can.

This even applies to relationships with people. If you want to have a good relationship with someone, it may take hard work. Going through the motions with people can be quite evident to others. Someone that shows that they are being intentional and doing their best to be the best friend, girlfriend/boyfriend, spouse, or family member means that they actually care. People like to know that someone genuinely cares.

By working hard in everything you do, you ultimately bring glory to God. God doesn't call us to be a portion of what he was. He calls us to work hard and do everything we do with all our might. By doing so, it shows that there's something different about us. It shows that we're intentional. It shows that we truly care. Hard work is done by caring people. So I leave you with these verses.

"Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

God bless!