You know what the problem with microwaves is? Besides, of course, that you can’t put silverware in them. The invention of the microwave oven has destroyed the concept of a good old-fashioned work ethic. It’s the reason I have to describe work ethic as old-fashioned. Work ethic is the idea that anything worth having is worth working for. But who needs that when now we have the microwave oven and a ready-made meal takes two minutes and the touch of a button. Psychologists call it “instant gratification.” Your parents probably call it impatient and lazy.

I never was one for hard work. My freshman year in high school I was thinking about trying out for the basketball team. That was until somebody told me the coach made the team run to the top of the four-level parking garage and back down, over…and over…and over. The most dreaded conditioning for soccer tryouts was the infamous 5 mile run at preseason training camp. I had never run anywhere close to five miles in my entire life. My first two years I was convinced the coaches just wanted to torture us and weed out the weak. But eventually I came around to see it as a challenge. The conditioning wasn’t just torture, but it was to make us better. By my senior year, I was no longer trying to get out of it, but trying to beat my previous best time.

If you look at the people that are the best in their particular fields, it’s because they worked hard at it. Michael Phelps didn’t win eight gold medals by deciding one day, ‘Hey, that’d be cool.’ Olympic athletes train for years and work hard to become the best in the world. A musician never stops learning his instrument. He is constantly learning and working hard practicing and refining his skills. All the best athletes, musicians, actors, lawyers, doctors, whatever, they study their specialty and work hard so they can be the best. They understand that there’s something on the other side of the work that makes the pain and long hours worth it all. They won’t settle for ‘good’ just to get out of a few workouts or rehearsals. They know that ‘great’ is only found on the other side of hard work. Why should it be any different concerning godliness?

People don’t work hard for anything anymore, least of all a relationship with God. We seem to think that godliness will spontaneously spring up out of reading a 15 minute devotional and offering up a few prayer requests about our personal needs. And then we wonder why our Christianity seems so shallow and inauthentic. Are there any left who would say their relationship with God is worth working hard for? Real godliness doesn’t just happen; it takes work. It takes the investment of time, of study and prayer, of suffering and doubt. It’s through the discipline of hard work that we find the joys of vivid faith, undaunted trust, true peace, love for our enemies, and so much more.

I’ve always been inspired by the stories of the faith of past saints. It was said of one great preacher that if he knew he would be preaching for 2 hours the next day, he would spend 4 hours in prayer. If he would be preaching 4 hours the next day, he would spend 8 hours on his knees. If he was to preach 6 hours the next day, he would spend 12 hours praying! That takes a discipline and dedication I can only dream of. Paul, arguably one of the most faithful followers of Christ, writes of his own spiritual journey, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14). That’s the language of self-discipline, of commitment to do whatever it takes to reach the goal.

It’s tough. It’s a struggle. Just like lifting weights isn’t easy at first, but over time you begin to add more weight to the barbell. The muscles get more firm and start to take shape. You may not even realize your progress because it’s slow and gradual. But given enough time you can flex in the mirror and see how much your discipline and hard work have paid off. And that’s something no microwave could ever do for you.