Whistle While You Work

Attitude is a small thing that make a big difference. 

Big doors swing on small hinges. 

If you've been praying for God to open a door, work on your attitude. 

Romans 12:11 (NLT)

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

God is just as concerned about your workweek as you are concerned about your weekend.  

1. Work hard.

Do you value your work ethic?   

Where did you learn your work ethic? 

We express our love for our families on our jobs.  

Model what you want Jesus to multiply.  

Your kids learn more by your examples. 

We've got to guard against a spirit of entitlement.  

Don't expect everything right now, but do nothing for it.   

This world owes you nothing. 

Entitlement comes from the word title.

We are entitled to nothing, but must be grateful for everything. 

Stop expecting a full time God on a part time relationship.  

The kingdom of God deserves your very best. 

To be a healing place for a hurting world, takes hustle. 

Dreams are for free, but hustle is sold separately.

  

God isn't going to do it for you, but will do it with you.

Magic is doing it for you.  

Miracles is God doing it with you.  

God requires something of us.  

It's easy to want what other people have, but are you willing to put in the work that they did to have it?

You may see the glory, but you don't know their story. 

A. The enemy of hard work: Excuses 

Excuses will always stand in the way of God's best for you.

Proverbs 22:13 (NLT)

13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there!
    If I go outside, I might be killed!”

Every time I make an excuse I step further away from my destiny.  

When I lost all of my excuses, I found all of my results. 

B. The enemy of hard work: Short Cuts 

You will never reach your destiny if you're always cutting corners.

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)

5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,

    but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

If your destiny is prosperity, you must stay on the road of hard work.  

The road to prosperity is never straight.  

There's a curve called failure, 

a loop called confusion, 

speed bumps called friends, 

red lights called enemies, 

caution lights called family, 

flats called jobs. 

If you have a spare tire called determination, 

an engine called perseverance,

insurance called faith, 

and a driver called God, 

you will end up in a place called prosperity. 

Teach your kids to do it right, and to do it right the first time.

  

C. The enemy of hard work: Lazy Friends 

2 Thessalonians 3:6-9  (NLT)

6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. 

7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 

8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.

9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

You can catch a lazy spirit from a friend like you can catch a cold and get sick. 

Favor always finds the responsible, but escapes the lazy. 

   

Romans 12:11  (NLT)

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

  

2. Work happy. 

Quit waiting for something to happen.   

You make something happen. 

There are two kinds of people.  

Those who love to get up in the morning, and those who hate those you love to get up in the morning. 

Work happy while you work hard.

  

Don't let your environment drain you of what God has placed inside of you. 

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20  (NLT)

18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 

19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.

To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 

20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.

If you're going to be happy at work, you're going to have to be happy on purpose. 

The world didn't give you joy.  Don't let it take it from you.  

Nehemiah 8:10 B (NLT)

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

You are responsible for your face.  

Do you have a yes face or no face?  

It takes hard work to frown.  

Smiling is much easier.  

It is an outward expression of an inward condition.  

Is your Monday face different from your Sunday face?

What would your life look like if you made a decision to always be the happiest person in the room?

Why can't you decide what kind of day this is going to be?

Why not decide not to be mean and miserable?

Decide to work hard and to work happy.

  

It's hard to be hateful if your grateful. 

If you turn up the thermostat of your gratitude, watch your entire environment change. 

3. We have the help of the Holy Spirit if we have a friendship with Jesus.  

The Holy Spirit doesn't make me better than you. 

The Holy Spirit helps me be better than me. 

Hard work is the engine.

  

Joy is the fuel in that engine. 

The Holy Spirit is the mechanic that makes it all work.  

What if you made a decision that you're going to work hard?  

Be done with excuses.  

No short cuts. 

Stay away from lazy friends. 

Today no person or place is going to steal my joy. 

Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

20 “Look! I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.    

Mike Haman, Healing Place Church

http://healingplacechurch.org/media/god-co/