It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. -Psalm 127:2 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless-like chasing the wind. - Ecclesiastes 1:14I got my first part-time job when I was seventeen years old, working for a computer store in the small town where I grew up. The owner of the store was a charismatic man named Scott who was, from my limited teenage perspective, very worldly and well-traveled. He was an intelligent, larger-than-life character with strong opinions about almost everything, so I enjoyed the quiet Saturday afternoons we worked together when we would take a break from the world of computers and he would teach me about how the "world" really worked. He would typically start his afternoon lesson with a phrase like, "Here's something they won't teach you in school" or "Let me explain something that almost no one understands". His favorite lesson, the one I remember most after all these years, was to "Work hard and play hard". He explained that most people waste their life by working half-heartedly at menial jobs for eight hours a day and then coming home to nothing more than television and sleep, only to repeat the entire process the next day. Eventually, they wake up and realize they are past the prime of their lives and have not accomplished anything of consequence. For Scott, this was the epitome of a wasted life. He cautioned me to make every second count and never to waste time on anything that wasn't either hard work or serious leisure. His life consisted of long days with almost no time-off for several months, followed by two weeks in the Caribbean at an all-inclusive resort. Occasionally, he would fly to New York or London or would spend a weekend gambling in Las Vegas, but you would never catch him watching television, going out to a movie or hanging out with friends. For Scott, it was all or nothing. He was either working hard or living the good life. Anything else was a waste of time. His philosophy resonated deep within that impressionable teenager and I vowed that I would live a life just like his. For years, I tried to emulate his style, working long hours, taking one course after another, accepting new contracts until I was inundated, all the while refusing any leisure unless it was expensive and impressive. If I took a break from work, even for a few moments, I could feel internal pressure commanding me back to work. The entire time, I could hear Scott's voice in my head rationalizing and urging me, saying, "No one understands this but us. We are the only ones who are living the good life." Except, I realize now, it was never really Scott's voice; it was the voice of the Enemy. It was no life at all. I don't blame Scott, since he fell into the same trap as I did and he believed the same lies about what life is supposed to be about. Fifteen years later, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I see the "work hard play hard" philosophy for what it really is - a perversion of a deep truth. Every successful lie the Enemy tells us is effective because it contains some truth, and the truth in Scott's philosophy is that it really is very important that we make our time on Earth count. The lie is that a good life has anything to do with fourteen hour work days or luxurious vacations. Living a good life is about service to and relationships with God, our family and our community. I have seen firsthand how the "work hard, play hard" mentality shatters all kinds of relationships. In practical terms, if you are living your life this way then every second of every day is accounted for. From the moment you awaken to the moment you fall asleep, you are working or learning. Everything else is an interruption. When it comes to friends and family, you are inflexible, unavailable and unapproachable. Unless the person is a business associate or is accompanying you on your next vacation, you have no time for them. How could anyone hope to maintain a marriage or friendship in that environment? How many times do our spouses or children come to us, asking for a little of our time and we send them away because we have important work to do? We tell them that it was not in our plans for today and resent any attempt to alter our agenda. We tell our spouses that we are working hard in order to provide a better life or that we are taking on one more contract to pay for that next getaway. Sure, expensive vacations are nice, but are they really more essential than the customary dinner with your wife? More valuable than a night out with friends? More precious than holding your newborn baby while she sleeps? Finally, we come to the most devastating aspect of the "work hard, play hard" philosophy - the effect it has on our life in Christ. When we are consumed by that lifestyle, He too becomes just one more interruption or one more obstacle in our way of getting more work accomplished. So many times I told Jesus, "I can't pray right now, I'm studying for my Theology final." or "I can't read your Word right now, I'm doing some paperwork for the ministry." I never once allowed Jesus to tell me what was important to Him. In the ultimate act of selfishness and pride, not only do we fail to spend enough time with Jesus, but we tell Him that our work and leisure are too important to entrust to Him. We are going to control our agenda since we think we are better able to set our priorities, all in the hope of living a full and meaningful life. Truthfully, there can be no full and meaningful life without Christ at the center, nor can we reach our full potential until all things are surrendered to Him. That includes our work and leisure time. I understand the compulsion that drives us to make every second count, but we need to surrender and trust that to God, for He is much more capable of giving meaning to our lives than we could ever be. It's extremely important to work hard when it is appropriate to do so, but we must also remain balanced and flexible. We need to keep our priorities straight. If you've struggled with this issue as I have, then take a moment now to invite the Holy Spirit to lead you in overcoming this. Pause and ask Him for guidance whenever you feel pulled in too many directions. Ask for wisdom and clarity whenever you're tempted to tell someone you love that you don't have time for them; especially when that person is Jesus. Finally, let Jesus know that you understand how important it is to find the right balance and that you trust Him completely to help you find the complete life He intends you to have in Him
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