It is interesting to see God’s view on working hard at what He has you doing right now. It is easy to start to feel like you are wasting your life if you don’t see your efforts making a difference in your situation.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
The process of working hard at a job, making great strides, and doing your best might seem like it was all wasted effort if you never get that raise, or if God calls you elsewhere right before you do, or if you end up getting let go, but remember there is great value in becoming an industrious person. The significant issue is the kind of person you are becoming. It is much more important to be able to go into the next venture God has for you with the work ethic He has instilled in you using your current situation, than that your efforts were rewarded. Nothing is wasted effort if you become better through it.
The opposite of industrious is lazy. A lazy person sits around and complains about their life. An industrious person approaches life as a thousand opportunities to better themselves.
A lazy person only makes changes when there is personal pain to motivate them, and they stop growing when the pain subsides. An industrious person keeps on growing because they love to grow and want to become better.
I came to the realization a while ago that I wanted a life that was better than the lives I was escaping into while watching TV. I started out slow, but as I began to develop myself and become more the kind of person I wanted to be, (and that God wanted me to be – lets face it, He wants what is best for us) the more motivated I was to do it. I wish I could say this was something I did by pulling up my bootstraps, but I think God had a lot to do with it, as did those I chose to start spending time with, who encouraged me to better myself. But there were efforts I made before I began to see actual change in my life, and although they were pretty insignificant, God honored them and began helping me when He saw I was willing to do my best at what I was doing.
I challenge you to look at the situation you are in right now and ask yourself what you could be doing to do it better. How you could glorify God through your industriousness, as if God himself were your boss.