Monday Memo 1242: Labor Empowered by Grace

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”— 1 Corinthians 15:10

Years ago I was complaining to the Lord that I was too busy, assuming that I needed to stop doing some of the things I was doing. Then one night I had a dream and I kept hearing 1 Corinthians 15:10. Not knowing what it said, I had to look it up. While I did, the Lord whispered, "You're not going to do less. I'm going to teach you to do more!" At the time, I thought the answer to my fatigue was reduction. God’s answer was empowerment. That's why this verse has such a special place in my quest for creative purpose, and I would like to share some of the things I have learned from it with you in this study. 

Paul offers one of the clearest explanations of how grace and labor work together. Grace doesn't eliminate effort; it empowers it. Paul worked hard, but he refused to take credit as though the strength came from himself. This verse dismantles two false ideas. The first is that grace excuses passivity. The second is that effort earns God’s favor. Paul rejects both. Grace produces labor, and labor becomes evidence that grace is at work.

Grace doesn't remove responsibility; it enables faithfulness. It supplies strength, endurance, and clarity when the work feels demanding. Paul understood that apart from grace, effort becomes striving. But with grace, labor becomes fruitful. Like Paul, I had to learn how to let God’s grace and my effort work together to produce more than my strength alone ever could.

Some people burn out because they labor without grace or misunderstand grace as permission to disengage. Some people never even get started because they're waiting for grace to do what only they can do. Paul shows us a third way: labor that is intense, sustained, and fully dependent on God. That's how I have written more than 100 books. That's how I have edited and published 170 more, while also traveling to more than 60 countries to share the purpose message. 

When grace fuels our work, fatigue doesn't define us. Our dependence on His guidance, strength, and wisdom does. Grace reminds us that we're not the source of the strength behind our labor—and that keeps labor from becoming prideful or crushing. Are you working in God's grace? You'll know you are when you produce and do more than you thought possible. When grace carries your labor, you'll accomplish more than you imagined possible—not because you pushed harder, but because you were carried. And when you find that place, you'll soar higher and fly longer than you ever imagined.

Reflection

1. Where have you relied on your own strength instead of grace?
2. How do you respond when labor becomes difficult?
3. What would it look like to work hard while depending fully on God?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for grace that empowers my labor. Teach me to work diligently without striving and to depend on You without withdrawing from responsibility. Let Your grace be evident in my faithfulness. Amen.

Application

This week, begin each workday by acknowledging your dependence on God’s grace. Ask Him to supply the strength you need to labor faithfully and consistently. And then, if you recognize that you're working with a sense of flowing in God's grace, ask God to show you if you need to make some changes in your work—or your approach to it.