Why Working With All Your Heart Matters
Do you ever feel tempted to give less than your best effort? Today, we’re talking about working with all your heart in everything you do! Join us below to see why it matters!
Why Working With All Your Heart Matters
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
Mom’s Thoughts on Working With All Your Heart:
Do you have a favorite class at school? One of my favorite classes in middle school was art class. I was creative, and I loved to paint, sculpt, and create artwork with my hands. I also admired our art teacher and wanted to please her.
One afternoon, our assignment was to create a piece of artwork that could be used as a stamp. We were to cut shapes out from a thin sheet of rubber and glue them onto a piece of cardboard. After the project dried, we could dip it into paint and use it as a stamp.
I was having fun goofing around with my friends that afternoon in art class, and I didn’t put my best effort into making my stamp. I cut a few shards of rubber, glued them onto the cardboard, and gave a half-hearted effort at making a picture.
I’ll never forget the look on my art teacher’s face when she saw my sloppy project. Shaking her head, she told me she expected better from me and was very disappointed. She then set the project on the table and walked away.
I immediately felt horrible. I knew I’d let my teacher down. I’d given a half-hearted effort, and I was ashamed of myself.
That night, I went home and found an old rubber innertube in my parents’ barn. I went to my room and spent over an hour cutting an exquisite design of a beagle sitting in front of a fireplace—carefully gluing the rubber to a piece of cardboard I found in the basement.
The next morning, I humbly walked to the art room, apologized to the teacher, and asked if I could have a second chance. I’ll never forget the smile on her face when I showed her my new project. I also learned a life-long lesson: Never give less than your best. God wants us to put our whole hearts into everything we do, whether it’s a homework assignment, household chore, or even investing in a relationship.
Bekah’s Thoughts (Girl to Girl):
Sometimes we all feel lazy. Sometimes we all slack off. However, that doesn’t mean we should be lazy and slack off!
Have you ever had to do something that you didn’t really want to do? Do you ever not put your full effort into tasks you don’t enjoy? It’s tough to give lots of effort when you’re doing something you don’t enjoy, but it’s important to put your full effort into everything—after all, work hard, play hard!
Once, I had to take a test that I didn’t want to take. Sadly, I didn’t put my full effort into it, and I ended up getting a not-so-great grade. It was a good lesson for me: A poor effort often leads to poor results!
Talk About It:
- Describe a time when you gave a half-hearted effort on a school project, during a sporting event, or on a chore or project at home. How did the situation turn out?
- Why does God tell us to give our whole hearts when it comes to working hard?
- In which area of your life might God be asking you to give more of a whole-hearted effort?
Pray Together:
Lord God, thank you that you desire excellence for us. Help us remember to put our whole hearts into everything we do. Help us remember we are working for you and not just for other people. Amen.
Lord God, thank you that you desire excellence for us. Help us remember to put our whole hearts into everything we do. Help us remember we are working for you and not just for other people. #girltogirlbook Click To Tweet
A Free Devotional for You:
The Girl to Girl 7-Day Devotional offers seven devotions and includes Scripture, commentaries from us, discussion questions, and even a section for journaling. The post you read today was taken from our 7-day devotional. This devotional will help you talk about tricky issues, challenge you in your faith, and help you grow closer together as mother and daughter. Get yours free with promo code GIRL right here!
Find Our New Mother-Daughter Devotional on Amazon Right Here:
Do you want to open the lines of communication with your daughter, connect on deeper levels, laugh together, and grow in your faith together? Maybe you don’t have a daughter, but you would love to connect with a granddaughter, niece, or younger woman in your life. Perhaps you would love to support a mother-daughter duo you care about.
If any of this resonates with you, we have a tool to help you. Twelve-year-old Bekah and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book together, and it is designed to help moms and daughters connect and grow in faith together. It’s called Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a journaling section. We had a blast writing it, and we are so excited to share it with you. You can buy your paperback or eBook on Amazon right here. This book also makes a powerful gift for the mothers and daughters you care about! We encourage you to check it out!
Bekah and Stacey
Bekah and Stacey Pardoe are pre-teen daughter & mother coauthors committed to helping women of all ages grow in their faith. When they're not writing, you can find them hiking, camping, jogging, and exploring wild places across Pennsylvania's forested hills!
