My wife is a high school math teacher, and as you might imagine, she has some interesting stories to tell at the end of each day.
Recently, she was sharing with me how some of her students - students who put in little effort beyond the classroom - act so surprised when they perform poorly on a test or quiz. They act frustrated, as if they are entitled to an “A” just for showing up. I’m sure many of us can remember experiencing this feeling a time or two.
As she was sharing this with me, I was reminded of my own work ethic and response towards God. Sometimes I feel entitled to an “A” in life. I mean, I show up at church, I go to work, I take care of my responsibilities…isn’t this enough to earn me everything good in life? No financial hardship? No challenges at work? No marriage struggles? God doesn’t think so. Just “showing up” isn’t enough. He wants us to do our homework. He wants us to study His Word daily. He wants all of our hearts and our minds. Unlike my wife’s classroom, though, this still won’t earn us an “A”. The challenge is to understand that we are never entitled to a perfect life free of hardship, no matter how diligent we are in our relationship with God. By His grace, we will be rewarded in Heaven! But, until then, our hard work will result in peace while we’re on this earth, hardships and all! That’s worth it.
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