The reward of our hardwork is God’s will

It is an often-heard phrase, ” We are praying to God, it will happen”. When questions such as ‘Has your son/daughter got a job? Has your son/daughter found a suitable marriage proposal?’ are put forward, most people reply saying that we are praying about it. Unlike the parents of generations gone by, parents today are not invested in the lives of their children, and neither do they make efforts like earlier. Seeing them the children also grow up with such values and emotions. Lord Jesus during His days of preaching often spoke that we need to do our part first only then does the hand of the Lord act. Let us see some examples from the Bible:

1. Lord’s first miracle: The wine ran out at the house in Cana where the wedding was taking place. Jesus could have easily changed the water in the jars into wine by just saying so. Yet this is not what happened. Jesus asked the servants to fill the water jars with water upto the brim. They followed His instructions and did as told. John 2:7-8, ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. ⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” He then asks them to take the water to the master of the banquet. By the time it reaches him the water had been turned to the finest quality wine.
2. Jesus raises Lazarus: Jesus reached Lazarus’ tomb four days after his death. A huge rock had been placed at the mouth of the tomb to cover it. Jesus asked the people present to move it away. John 11:38-39, ³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Had Jesus said to the rock to roll away it would have rolled away from the tomb. Had Jesus said, ‘Lazarus come out’. Lazarus would have come out of the tomb and rolled away the stone himself. When Lazarus came out he was his hands and feet were covered with linen clothes, Jesus asks people to take them off. He could have simply said that the clothes fall off him but He didn’t.
3. Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind: John 9:11, Jesus had healed several people by His mere touch and by even saying so. Here Jesus heals the man born blind by putting mud on his eyes and asking him to wash them in the pool of Siloam. The blind washed his eyes(symbolic of his sins) and gained eyesight. The man did his part as told after Jesus did what He had to. This was he was healed.
4. Jesus pays His tax: Mathew 17:27, ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” Jesus was in need of a drachma coin to pay for tax. He did not like to borrow from others and pay. He asked his disciple Peter a former fisherman to drop a hook and find the coin in a fish’s mouth. Jesus knew that Peter would find the coin in the fish’s mouth since it was Him who sent the fish.

Genesis 2:15, ¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Father in heaven did not place Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to simply enjoy the luxuries. They had their share of responsibilities and duties tending and taking care of the garden. There were only two people in the garden and lots to eat. They could have lived a carefree life just looking after the garden. We all know what happened and the result God says in Genesis 3:19,

¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.”

It would do well if each one of us asks this of ourselves: Are we doing our part in the Lord’s plan? Are we doing our duties and responsibilities?

2 Thessalonians 3:10-11, ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” ¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.nThis Bible verse also speaks to us about working hard for ourselves and enjoying the fruit of one’s own hard work. Today the major cause of tears and heartache is the lack of head of the family who performs his/her duties, highly educated children, or children who evade their responsibilities and duties. Many children want only white-collar jobs or jobs with high remuneration and status. Then there are some who would work only abroad. Then there are some children who do not stick at one job and quit finding one reason or the other. Many enjoy the bribe more than their own salary and ruin their family name with black listing and suspension. No one will enjoy reading this. Yet this is the harsh truth. Can you say no to this?

Dear brothers and sisters, Confucius had rightly said, ” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” If we have the mind and heart to do the small steps that are required to reach the final outcome then the destination is not far from us. Do your best and God does the rest. Proverbs 13:4, ⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
    but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

Proverbs 16:3, ³ Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.