One thing I have learned about walking with the LORD, is that He does not take shortcuts. He is not lazy. He doesn't half-do things. He does not half-reward us. Instead, I find the LORD goes above and beyond. He is generous, understanding, forgiving, and He is far better to us than we deserve. He blesses me with things so insignificant, but personally meaningful that it puts me in tears. 

I know that Jesus was an excellent carpenter simply from the character of the Holy Spirit. Jesus could be nothing less. You can bet that Jesus always came back and finished the job, and He did it for the price He told you, or had a real reason why it changed.

Character... You can measure someone's character by what it takes for them to bail out of a commitment. To tell you one thing, and then do something else. To take the easiest path, which in construction, often means to take the money and run. 

Should you paint behind the cabinets where no one will look? If the screws in the roofing you are installing strip, do you keep going knowing it will leak later, but you will be paid and long gone? No one will know... Oh, but there is the issue: Someone does.

Laziness has a stench to it, and the LORD will not reward it. He rewards excellence, going beyond the expected. It is what He does, but something that you see too little of today. Jesus said this: 

(Matthew 5:41 NKJV)  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Judea was under Roman military occupation at the time, and under Roman law, any Roman soldier could command a Jew to carry his pack for up to one mile. This is what they did to Simon on Good Friday: 

(Mark 15:21 NKJV)  Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

Simon was coming to town when they grabbed him and made him drag a heavy cross out to Golgatha. The Romans could just grab you and say, "Pick this up and let's go!" And they probably weren't very nice about it. The Jews hated this! But Jesus said, go with them the first mile, and then volunteer for a second one. Instead of inspiring hate within us, they get love. All that comes out is love.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), two of the servants given the talents doubled their master's money. While the third one who was given one talent, still a huge sum of money, hid it in the ground and did nothing. His LORD called him a wicked, lazy servant and cast him out. The diligent servants were praised for their hard work and promoted. The parable of the minas goes the same way (Luke 19:12-27).

Joseph worked hard at Potiphar's house and was put in charge of the other servants. Then later, he was put in charge of the prison inmates. Still later, he was made ruler over Egypt. Joseph excelled at everything he did because the LORD was with him. But if Joseph had been lazy and did the least possible, I don't think he would have kept rising to the top.

Proverbs blasts laziness to the moon. I actually begin laughing when listening to it sometimes. Like this gem:

(Proverbs 6:9–11 NKJV)  How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

I know there are times when we could certainly use a helping hand, but poverty is often linked to our mindset. And until we change our mind, poverty will stay. The LORD will not pour out a hundred-fold return on zero. Well, even if He did, it would be zero...

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

(2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 NASB)  For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

We are to work heartily as if we are working directly for the LORD:

(Colossians 3:23-24 NASB)  Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

This is a hidden secret that few Christians learn. I have worked some pretty humble jobs in my time, pumping septic tanks and grease traps underneath buildings, digging foundations in blue gumbo clay, and polishing brass until my skin turned green. During some of the worst ones, I would turn it into a game as if I was working directly for the LORD. 

I would talk with Him throughout the day, and tell Him, LORD, I am sweeping this floor till it shines because of You. You gave us Your best and I will give you mine. I did it as a game just to get through the day and to have ongoing fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Yet, in every circumstance it worked out with me getting promoted in some way. 

If Jesus was coming to your house at 12 noon for lunch, what time do you think He would arrive? 3, 4, 5? I believe He would be there at noon like He told you... 

When we show up late for work, late for our commitments, and lazily slop our way through the day with the least possible effort, we are not honoring the LORD. And we should not be expecting Him to reward us for doing the least we could get by with. In the parable of the talents, the servant who did the least he could was thrown into outer darkness.  

When Abram sent his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant stopped and prayed:

(Genesis 24:12-14 NKJV)  Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Rebekah came out and offered to draw water for him and his camels, when he had only asked for a drink of water. So this was beyond what he had asked for. That was the LORD's sign that she was the one. 

This life is a big test to see where you fit in heaven. As I understand it, those who are fortunate enough to get there will have varying rewards. 

Jesus said, "lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven," but not everyone will (Matthew 6:20). So that leads me to believe that some will have treasure in heaven while others may not. 

When James and John, asked to be seated beside Jesus in His coming kingdom, Jesus said that was reserved for someone else (Mark 10:35-40). Those were two of His Apostles...

Where do you think you will be seated if you flop through life like a half-dead fish doing the very least that you could do? The Holy Spirit whispers to you what is right. Try and do better. This isn't rocket science.

The Apostle Paul wrote about some being rewarded and others smelling like smoke when they arrived: 

(1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NKJV)  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We are called to be good stewards of what God has given us. If He has blessed you with a job at all, you should be thankful and work hard at it as if you are working for Him. If you are blessed with a paycheck, you should pay tithes on the first 10% of it. Yep, the temptation is going to be to put me and mine in front of the Divine, but let's see if that gets you a promotion. 

I have heard missionaries share how clean the dirt floors in African mud-huts are swept. The fact is, if you won't clean the house you live in, you wouldn't clean a mansion either. If you don't tithe when you are poor, you certainly won't tithe when you are rich. Jesus said:

(Luke 16:10-13 NKJV)  He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Put God first in all things. Talk with Him throughout the day. Show up on time and work as if you were working directly for the LORD. Be faithful in the little He has given you and watch Him multiply it. But remember, if He cannot trust to be faithful with a little, why would He give you a lot? 

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for all You have given me. LORD, help me see life through Your eyes and to focus on the right things. Make what is important to You important to me. You are my Boss. Help me remember that. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!