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Just thinking of the word "labor" brings sweat to my brow. I have heard so many phrases with the word labor in it: Fruits of labor, man labor, being in labor, labor of love. The last one has always struck me as a little odd and rather contradictory. "Labor of love?" Why should love be so much work? Isn't love supposed to make things better and brighter and not more difficult? I always thought that until I got married. Love is always a labor. It always was a labor. But, in the beginning, it was fun work. Now, it can be difficult work.
But the labor of love can be the most wonderful work I can do. If, for the rest of my life, my only job is to love people and work on being a loving person and just focus all my efforts on love, I could probably wear myself out the first week. Because, when I think of Labor, I think "hard work". And it is hard work! But it is beyond worth it!
I don't mind going the extra mile for the sake of love. I used to think that if love made me work that hard, then maybe I was trying too hard and God didn't want it to really happen. But, now that hindsight is 20/20, I realize that so many little fights and arguments were love strengtheners, not destroyers, as long as we used them that way.
I want any labor that I do today to be worthwhile and valuable. I don't want to work on something that will not benefit someone in a positive, faithful, loving matter. I want to be a blessing, and that takes work. I want to be a good person and it is easier to be bad, so it will take work.
I need labor in my life. Without it, nothing worthwhile would ever get done.
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