Going Pro

A Devotional

Tuesday was brutal, and by noon half the crew were give out. Wednesday we were back at it early, tying rebar, bending it, getting ready to pour footers. This isn’t a part of the trade I love, and I don’t think many do. It was important that the footers were done on time, though.

Around the middle of the day, a new guy said, “Man, I’m tired of tying this (rebar) shit.” Honest, but not helpful. I’m sure he was tired, but my endurance training was paying off on this day.

I was tying rebar, also, and working on carefully aligning the rebar at an intersection in the footer trench. Earlier my boss had pointed out how he wanted them lined up well, looking good, even though nobody will ever see them once the concrete was poured. That’s how he likes things. So, I was going to tie it the way he wanted it, because that was the standard.

That’s the difference between an amateur and a pro, not so much skill. An amateur’s effort goes with how he feels. If he’s having a good day, it’s good work. If he’s having a bad day, corners get cut, effort lacks, and the standard falls. A pro shows up and does the work the way he knows it needs to be done, no matter how he feels like.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). There’s no qualifier in that verse. It doesn’t say “when you feel like it.” I may not like every part of the job, but I have to do it as well as I can.

I know what needs doing, and my boss on site told me what he wanted. That’s my job, and my work represents him. He sets the standard. Here’s the thing, though – who’s really my boss, and who am I really representing?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23).

But this isn’t really about rebar and concrete.

My real boss, the One I really represent, is Jesus – whether I’m tying rebar, installing trim, or policing the job site on clean up.

Here’s what I want to ask you: Where are you an amateur with the Lord right now?

Are you reading the Bible? Are you praying? If so, when?

I want to challenge you to go pro with the Lord. Open your Bible. Pray and seek the Lord.

Here’s what I’ve found, after doing this awhile: some mornings you open the Bible and feel nothing. Doesn’t matter. The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It doesn’t require you to feel something, or a stunning revelation. Keep reading it, and it will have an effect on you. I’ve done this long enough to know it works, even when it seems like it doesn’t.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35). Jesus spent the evening healing people and casting out demons, but he still got up very early to be alone and pray.

When I am not routine in my prayer, I have found that I’m just off. I’m more distracted. I’m more anxious. I’m more vulnerable to temptation and the whispers of the Enemy. However, when I am routine in prayer, I am more present and of how present Jesus already is.

So, this week, whether you’re tired, busy, or just not feeling it, you’re going to dedicate time to reading your Bible and praying. Decide now, before your feelings get a say. Set the standard.

The footers did get poured Wednesday. We finished the job on time, to the standard, by guys who had no enthusiasm for it on that day, because we’re pros. Those footers get covered in dirt and blocks, and nobody will ever see them again.

If that’s worth doing right, how much more the thing that isn’t getting buried, but building your foundation. Remember who you’re working for, who sets the standard, and who you’re representing.