Fear God, and Work Hard

There is no one we know of who is free from problems. Most of us at times have difficult situations to solve. But there are some who succumb to adverse circumstances more easily than others (sometimes on the assumption that nothing can be done). And there are some who refuse to give up easily⎯and often by their own efforts (and with help that comes from outside themselves) somehow manage to bring things about.

Fortunately, there is something to be done about almost everything that ought to be done. Often there is no set formula, no fixed solution; but if men have the will to do, the will to work, the will to keep faith, the will to follow through, many things are solved which at first seemed to be without solution.

There is little evidence that the Father and Creator of us all intended any of us to live without effort or without solving some things for ourselves. And one measure of the strength of man is his willingness to see things through. There is nothing that was ever made or built or solved, or provided or improved without the willingness of someone to stay with it, the willingness of someone to work.

No doubt the Lord God could have made life easy for us all if such had been His plan and purpose. He could so have surrounded us, could so have provided, that we could have lived all but effortlessly. But He has given us something infinitely greater than an effortless existence. He has given us eternal principles, freedom, the right to work, the right to learn (even the right to make mistakes if we must), the right to fail⎯and the incentive to succeed, with glorious promises and privileges and possibilities. And with our sincere willingness He is ever ready with His help. And with our willingness we can accomplish much, both with ourselves and our surroundings.

In short, the Lord God does not expect of us perfection, but He does expect of us an honest effort. He expects us to develop and to demonstrate our ability to bring things about. And for a generation that may have something yet to learn about the blessing of willing work, may we take from Livingstone of Africa these profound five words: “Fear God, and work hard.”