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Do You
Have A Strong
Work Ethic?
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it."
(Genesis 2: 15)
 Many farms across America still use the physical power of draft horses to "work their land" in order to bring about a rich and timely harvest.
One of the subjects I believe God's people need to hear more about is the value of having a strong work ethic. Our ears often want to hear "spiritual" messages, and of course, that's a very good thing. But the Bible also addresses other important issues that don't appear to be particularly spiritual, and yet, these issues directly effect the spirit of man.
One of these issues is the intrinsic value of work.
It's important to note here that this newsletter is not about the type of "work" that Christ did on the cross at Calvary. That work of redemption and salvation is complete. Instead, I want to talk to you about our natural, physical work. Although it's not often preached about, God has been very clear right from the start about the important role of work in our human life. When Adam opened his eyes for the first time and saw the beautiful Garden that God had placed him in, perhaps his first thoughts were, "Wow, check this place out. This is going to be the vacation of a lifetime!" But God had other plans. Genesis 2: 15 says that God put Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and keep it". Talk about a rude awakening! No sooner had Adam taken his first deep breath, and it was time to get to work; mowing, trimming, cutting, building, painting, cleaning, repairing, and on and on. With such a heavy work-load, it's a good thing God gave Adam a strong woman to lend a helping hand, and manage those endless "to-do" lists. Welcome to planet earth, Adam and Eve!
WORK
It's A Command!
"For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."
(2 Thessalonians 3: 10, ESV)
God honors a man or woman who is not afraid to get dirt under their fingernails and work.
The late Reverend Kenneth Hagin, Sr. used to say, "Anyone who wants to be an evangelist should have to pastor a church first. And anyone who wants to be a pastor should have to be an evangelist first." What incredible words of wisdom! Of course, Pastor Hagin had been both a pastor, and an evangelist, and so he knew the truth and the value behind this insight. For many years, my husband, Kim, and I worked diligently as Associate Pastors at several different churches before beginning our evangelistic outreach ministry known today as Kim and Susan Klaudt World Ministries. Those early years gave us not only a bird's-eye view into the day to day work of running a church, but a look at the heart of a shepherd, and what it really means to care for the flock. It was a birds-eye view that most people seldom see.
When we think of pastors, we often think of men or women who earn their living simply by "preaching". However, there is often more to these "called and gifted" orators of the gospel than meets the eye. Some of the greatest pastors I have ever known have had a strong "work ethic", second to none. They are usually the first ones to arrive at the church, and the last ones to leave. I have watched these pastors spend hours studying for a special sermon, and then go and scrub the church toilets and sinks, pick up trash off the sanctuary floor, and tidy up the fellowship hall, before stepping behind the pulpit to deliver that week's message. Standing humbly before the congregation, I have also heard these pastors ask for volunteers to help "work" in the church. It is not because the pastor isn't willing to do the work himself, - far from it. He has proven He is willing. Rather, it's because the pastor can't do all the work, and still have time to do the job/work for which he is most responsible - that of shepherding the flock!
As someone who is wise enough to ride a fast horse when preaching the truth, I feel brave enough to say this loud and clear. If there is anyone who should have a strong work ethic, - it is you and me - the church! Chances are good that your Pastor, and your church, needs your help right now. How can you help? You can start by volunteering to greet visitors, work in the nursery, clean the church (yes, even the bathrooms), teach a Sunday- school class, visit the shut-ins, work with the youth, take food to the sick, you name it, - even in the most prosperous of churches, - there is still much work that needs to be done. Take it from an old country girl who has seen both sides of the fence. We've been eating good for a long time. Now it's time to roll up our sleeves, and go to work so that others can eat good, too.
Is It True That If You
DO WHAT YOU LOVE,
You Will Never Work A
Day In Your life? Absolutely, not.
You Will Work
Every Day, And Even Harder!
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord, Christ."
(Colossians 3: 23-24)
Our perception of work is what we make of it. For example, consider the fact that the only clean stall is an empty stall. We wouldn't have stalls to muck, or even a barn to clean, if God hadn't blessed us with wonderful horses in the first place! Got work? Be grateful!
Perception may not be everything, but it's doggone important! Whenever I show up with my horses to minister at a cowboy church, or teach a Natural Horse Faith-Man-Ship lesson, or even send out this newsletter with colorful pictures to help visually demonstrate the teachings, - you are only seeing, well, part of the picture. The truth is, behind every successful ministry, there has to be someone who is willing to work harder and longer than the average bear. This is especially true in equine ministry where having a muck rake and being willing to use it, is as important as having a three-point sermon, and a Bible with teaching scriptures under-lined! Of course, what people rarely get to see with any ministry is the behind-the-scenes "get your hands dirty" work that is required in order to get the job done. And make no mistake about it, in order to get the job of ministry done, - somebody has to have a strong work ethic!
I quick look "behind the scenes" of this ministry would reveal that I rarely have on a shiny belt buckle like I do in the photo-shoot's, nor are my boots clean and polished. Instead of a fresh manicure, I'm more apt to have dirt (and probably some horse manure from mucking stalls) under my fingernails. And no doubt, most days, I probably smell more like my horse than the latest fragrance at the cosmetic's counter. But aren't I doing what I love? Absolutely, and I'm "working" harder than I've ever worked in my life for the privilege to do so! Having said that, why am I willing to work this hard? First off, I'm willing to work this hard because I know that I am "doing it" as unto the Lord. Secondly, I know that God is watching me. The fact is, He's the ultimate undercover boss, and He's always watching you and me. Nope, we can't always see Him, but He is there just the same, always encouraging us, and making sure we're faithfully doing the work He called us to do.
Got Big Plans? You Must
Commit Your WORK
To God!
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."
(Proverbs 14: 23, ESV)
Many horse-trainers and clinicians started out as hired-hands mucking stalls, breaking colts, and doing lots of hard, dirty work. Their strong work ethic paved the way, and established their plans as some of todays most successful leaders in the equestrian industry.
Oftentimes, people think about their future plans, and how wonderful it will be when they finally "arrive" at that special place in their life. Seldom do they think about the hard work it will take to actually get there. Suffice to say, it would sure be nice if God would "wave a magic wand" and simply bring all our plans to pass. But alas, God doesn't even own a magic wand, so we can forget about the wave!
What God does have is a strong desire to see His children succeed in life. And in order to do that, He knows it will take more than magic, or wishful thinking. It will take men and women with a strong work ethic who are willing to commit themselves to the task at hand. It will take men and women who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves, and get a little dirty in order to get the job done. Today, you and I have the wonderful privilege and opportunity to serve God with our daily "work". And the good news is, our work comes with powerful benefits. God promises to reward our hard and diligent work by establishing our plans right here and now, on earth. Got big plans? I thought so. Now, let's roll up our sleeves, and get down to some serious work.
Our Pay-Day is on the way!
Natural Horse
Faith-Man-Ship
(Teaching biblical faith using horses)
ARE YOU READY FOR THE FAITH RIDE OF
YOUR LIFE?
To Learn More...
EMAIL US
ksworldmin@aol.com
*Susan Klaudt Horse Ministry and Natural Horse Faith-Man-Ship are protected by exclusive copyright, and are outreaches of Kim and Susan Klaudt World Ministries, Inc., a 501 (C) (3) not for profit ministry.
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