I Samuel 1:23
‘But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever.”’
Hannah interrupted their annual trip because she was completing something higher. She was finishing the weaning stage of her only child. She wanted to do this right. This is the child that was prayed for. His arrival took away the shame of barrenness. Part of it was she wanted to stay with him as long as possible. In the end, she wanted to complete this stage in an excellent manner.
Producing quality work takes effort. The challenge is the fight against boredom. Our attention spans are limited. I think of a musician learning a song. It may be a beautiful piece, yet, after playing it 50 times, the allure is gone. The magic of the song is worn away by repetition.
What strategies do they use to endure? The musician remembers the emotion that the song produced and will evoke in all the future listeners. This memory and anticipation drives the musician on to perfection. The boredom and tedious play are endured for the prize.
We are social creatures. Much of our reward comes from the reaction of others. Disapproval and praise are strong motivators. The craftsman endures long hours knowing a satisfied customer and the subsequent payment follows.
Another motivator is the approval of God. When we enter the kingdom, we want to hear, “well done, thou good and faithful servant”, (Matthew 25:23). However, the Lord wants to reward us with His approval on a daily basis. Romans 8 speaks of how those are led by the Lord are His children. Verse 16 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” We crave that connection. We learn to follow and obey Him just to live in the peace and joy of His presence.
Lord, help us to be those committed to excellence.