Why Working Hard Isn't Enough
Do you work hard every day? Good. A hard day's work - one where you exhaust your energy doing an excellent job - keeps us honest and humble. Honest because you've put your all into your work in order to produce your best effort; you strive for excellence, knowing that only a complete effort will do. Humble because in the process of putting in that effort you realize how hard you have to work to simply do "the right thing" - no matter your level of skill or talent. The most competent of us usually have to put our shoulders to the plow to really produce good work.
But even better than an exhausting day's work that produces our very best effort is when - in the midst of those efforts - we recognize that the goodness of our work comes from God, not us. And without the goodness that comes from God, our work won't be really "good"; it will, at best, be "efficient."
We're perfectly capable of doing efficient work - work that accomplishes the practical end we started out to accomplish. With the right combination of innate talent, skill that we develop over time, and pure effort, each of us can accomplish the practical ends of whatever task we have before us. If you're a cabinet-maker, with a high level of skill, a hard day's work (or maybe a string of them) will result in a solid, functional piece of furniture. If you're a financial planner with a high level of skill, hard work will result in an elegant, effective plan to help your client accomplish his or her goals.
But if you worked for God's greater glory as you put your shoulder to the plow, day after day, if you offered all your prayers, works, joys and sufferings throughout your hard day's work (as we pray in our "Morning Offering" each day when we wake up), then your work is united to God's work. You'll still accomplish the practical ends you need to produce for your boss or client. But now you take part in God's continual act of daily Creation - where God works to sustain His Creation. You're now part of that.
And being a part of it, you realize how ridiculous is would be for you to "take credit" for this excellent work of yours. Being part of God's continual work of Creation, you see that you've simply played a part. That's not to denigrate what you've done. It's to see it in the light of honesty and humility.
If you're work is part of God's work (and it is), then you can honestly see it for exactly what it is, and you can humbly accept your little part in this great Work of God - His Creation.
In the end, wouldn't you rather see things as they really are? Isn't that so much better than merely feeling self-satisfied, patting yourself on the back, taking all the credit, having people praise you, and all the rest of the appreciation, acclamation, even the financial reward that can come from a job well-done? And seeing things as they really are - with you playing that small role in God's Great Work - isn't the humility that comes with that realization so much better than the possibility that pride will get the better of you, especially when your work is really, really good? Isn't it better to be enveloped in humility rather than pride - the same pride that led to the downfall of Lucifer and the angels who followed him into hell?
So keep working hard. But remember that your Morning Offering isn't just a brief mumbled prayer you say when you open your eyes each morning. It sets the tone for the whole day. Remember that it unites us, right then and there, to Our Lord and calls on the intercession of Our Blessed Mother right then and there. And with that initial offering, that sleepy first prayer, just remember to sustain that intention throughout the day as you go about your work.
It will make your hard day's work a part of the Great Work of Our Father in Heaven. And there's nothing you could possibly do - or want to do - that could be better than that. Agreed?
But even better than an exhausting day's work that produces our very best effort is when - in the midst of those efforts - we recognize that the goodness of our work comes from God, not us. And without the goodness that comes from God, our work won't be really "good"; it will, at best, be "efficient."
We're perfectly capable of doing efficient work - work that accomplishes the practical end we started out to accomplish. With the right combination of innate talent, skill that we develop over time, and pure effort, each of us can accomplish the practical ends of whatever task we have before us. If you're a cabinet-maker, with a high level of skill, a hard day's work (or maybe a string of them) will result in a solid, functional piece of furniture. If you're a financial planner with a high level of skill, hard work will result in an elegant, effective plan to help your client accomplish his or her goals.
But if you worked for God's greater glory as you put your shoulder to the plow, day after day, if you offered all your prayers, works, joys and sufferings throughout your hard day's work (as we pray in our "Morning Offering" each day when we wake up), then your work is united to God's work. You'll still accomplish the practical ends you need to produce for your boss or client. But now you take part in God's continual act of daily Creation - where God works to sustain His Creation. You're now part of that.
And being a part of it, you realize how ridiculous is would be for you to "take credit" for this excellent work of yours. Being part of God's continual work of Creation, you see that you've simply played a part. That's not to denigrate what you've done. It's to see it in the light of honesty and humility.
If you're work is part of God's work (and it is), then you can honestly see it for exactly what it is, and you can humbly accept your little part in this great Work of God - His Creation.
In the end, wouldn't you rather see things as they really are? Isn't that so much better than merely feeling self-satisfied, patting yourself on the back, taking all the credit, having people praise you, and all the rest of the appreciation, acclamation, even the financial reward that can come from a job well-done? And seeing things as they really are - with you playing that small role in God's Great Work - isn't the humility that comes with that realization so much better than the possibility that pride will get the better of you, especially when your work is really, really good? Isn't it better to be enveloped in humility rather than pride - the same pride that led to the downfall of Lucifer and the angels who followed him into hell?
So keep working hard. But remember that your Morning Offering isn't just a brief mumbled prayer you say when you open your eyes each morning. It sets the tone for the whole day. Remember that it unites us, right then and there, to Our Lord and calls on the intercession of Our Blessed Mother right then and there. And with that initial offering, that sleepy first prayer, just remember to sustain that intention throughout the day as you go about your work.
It will make your hard day's work a part of the Great Work of Our Father in Heaven. And there's nothing you could possibly do - or want to do - that could be better than that. Agreed?
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