Work Smarter, Not Just Harder: A Christian Approach to Progress
Working hard, really grinding sometimes as the result of pursuing something that you don't even care about, which was true for me during the early years of college.
Smarter Not Harder
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
Begin with the truth
This group of Christians believe it is extremely important that we teach the Word of God to our kids. They have original graphic illustrations from the beginning of the Bible to the end, featuring the beautiful and consistent presence of Jesus throughout.
Okay, so I need to tell you right up front that I have an equal amount of excitement in sharing the relevance and personal benefit of today's topic versus fear, a sense of trepidation, I guess, because the only way for me to convey this concept of work smarter, not harder, and how it can help you is to share a few things from my life.
What this reveals about God
Well, my argument today is work smarter, work more efficiently, work less hard so that you can enjoy it more and do other things and still reap success. And maybe even more than you could have gotten before because you're not burned out, you're not stressed out, you're not overworked, and you get to experience the joy of figuring out the best way to do it instead of just the fatigue having labored through the hardest route to the top.
So I have a handful of things to share with you on how this might work in your life, but I do want to give you one other instance from my own that really brought this episode into view for me.
Let faith take root
But if you're trying to build a better connection with your kids or a better marriage and all the stuff you're trying is giving diminished returns, but it's worth working for, then you've got to be willing to say, I need to reevaluate this, instead of just saying, I'll work harder, which isn't usually the answer. If you're somebody who's trying to get your finances in order, pay off some things, say for retirement, and you have this tremendous strategy that your parents taught you that you've believed in your whole life, but it's not working.
You study and grind and work and figure and do bold things, and you have nothing to show for it.
Respond in daily life
Eliminate stuff that is time consuming or laborious or mentally draining that doesn't even have that great of results just because you've always done them. And then if you have a choice on how you will pursue a better marriage or better finances or deeper faith or a better position at work or better grades or whatever, if you have the choice, always choose to do something that fits you.
By that I mean this beautiful combination of something that you enjoy and also that you're pretty good at.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “Work Smarter, Not Just Harder: A Christian Approach to Progress” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
The original episode player is available near the top of this article, so you can listen without leaving the page.