To Build a Solid Foundation It Takes Work
Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers in the 60’s said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
When we think of work, or hard work we all probably have a different picture in our minds of what that means. Someone might think of manual labor, sweat on the brow, calluses on the hands and tired muscles. Others may associate it with long hours, frustration or anxiety from serving or trying to please others.
Whether it is about your career, financial status, Christian life, or marriage it is important to decide if work is more of a necessary evil or is it a source for satisfaction and success. Our life in general is a mixture of different moments of action and inaction, work and rest and working at something provides us with an inner creative joy.
The idea of working hard also can play a big part in our relationship with God. We see the Apostle Paul says, “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). It is important to understand what it means to “work out your salvation.” Many people mistakenly think Paul was telling us that we need to work harder to earn our salvation. That is clearly not the case as he clearly stated as such in Ephesians:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
The apostle was saying something completely different that we need to understand. Scripture is clear that our salvation experience isn’t the beginning and end of our spiritual journey. Rather, it’s the catalyst that turns on the process of continually living out that salvation. Sanctification is progressive. It is continual and active growth proceeds from the life we live by faith in Jesus Christ. The degree to which you yield to Him impacts the work He’ll achieve through you and the changes He will affect in your life.
Our works are not decisive in our salvation. They are evidence of God’s saving work in us.
Just as with our walk with Christ, work is to be a major part of our lives. It is one of the main factors in a happy, well-rounded life. Do you believe the success of your marriage is going to take hard work? Do you believe the says, “nothing worth having comes easy”?
Marriage ‘takes work’ because it’s hard to not be self-centered and live our life in the flesh instead of the spirit! Marriage is hard work, dedication, and determine no matter what you are dealing with. The idea that marriage requires work means it’s not automatic.
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
In a New Jersey poll, 46 percent of divorced people reported that they wished they and their ex-spouse had tried harder to work through their differences. The decision to divorce or to work on the marriage and remain together is one of the most important decisions you will make at this critical time in your life. Marriage does take work, and at times it will be a battle, but it is important to know it is not you against your spouse. It’s a war against our sin nature.
In chapter 3 of my book (Before You Say I Don’t), I address the lie that “We will never be able to make it work.” Making an intentional choice to work at something can prevent “growing apart” from happening. Take action now to grow together to make sure that growing apart never “just” happens. Your marriage may look hopeless right now, but it can still work if you are willing to work. It may not be easy but it can not only work, it can be better than you ever dreamed of before you said “I Do.” Couples can and have come back from terrible places in their relationship to create amazing marriages.
Your marriage can work…if you are willing to work. Accomplishing success in life, work, and relationships require an understanding of how to stop making excuses. Excuses are often made to shift blame away to circumstances beyond our control. If you hear yourself saying that you cannot stay married because something your spouse has done, is doing or not doing, then you are shifting the blame to someone or something outside of yourself.
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” – Thomas A. Edison
