Probably few of us are old enough to remember the slogan "Twenty-five dollars a day, once a month!" The recruiters for the army would promise you $25 a day, big money back in the 1930s. They just never mentioned it was just once a month, until after you signed up! They were trying to fool you. I had cause to think of that this past week. Suppose I gave you a jib stuffing envelopes, and paid you $17 an hour. Would you complain?

As it turns out, one of my past video game competitors has gone out of business. His master plan was to sell Atari games on CDs, while my master strategy is to make them as cartridges. Well, it turns out people really prefer cartridges, and his business went pretty far into the re. My friend/competitor decided to call it quits, and dispose of the remaining inventory as a business loss. Naturally, he wanted to drop it in the lap of someone who was already selling similar items, so he sent the whole kit'n'kaboodle to me. I, in turn, had a son who was noising around that he wanted more money than just his allowance. So, I made him a deal. He wants to go to Philmont Scout Ranch in 2004 with his troop. and that will cost bucks. I gave him all the CDs and such I got from my ex-competitor and am letting him sell them. Dave has to pay for his own packing materials, labels, and of course shipping. But half of the profits go to "Dave's Philmont Fund" and the other half he can have outright. The week he spent a whopping 60 minutes packing up orders for places like New Jersey, Ohio and the Netherlands. He and I took them down to the post office and sent them on their merry way. Dave raked in $34 sheer profit, so he got $17 an hour, once a week. Get it?

Doesn't this sound like a good deal? Would most kids jump at the chance to pull this in? Well, when Dave started he was spending two hours a week - but making as much as $90 in those two hours. So for those weeks he was keeping $45 a week, But over time the sales have slowed down. There are less and less buyers. Oh, the orders still trickle in, but it is not like it was. Now I have to prod Dave to get him to fill orders. He no longer feels he is making all that much money. He would like to quit sometimes, but then he wouldn't make any money at all and he's getting used to having it. But he actually suggests that working for 60 minutes to earn $17 almost isn't "worth" it!

When we work for God, especially when we try to change our lives to his will, we see hugh mileage right up front. Maybe we quit drinking, or quit swearing. We feel as if we are making tremendous gains. But over time we have to work a little harder to improve, with perhaps less visible benefit. Oh, it's there, but we don't think we're improving as rapidly. The preacher starts to preach about "other" people, not us anymore. We feel like it's a bit of a bother. We would like to quit, and just "coast" for a while. It's as if we reach a point where we feel we can no longer improve; that the cost of improving is no longer "worth" it. In fact, we may start thinking that Sunday is enough. We may start thinking "I worship God fervently - one hour a day, one day a week." There's a noticeable drop in attendance Sunday night. There's a week of meetings coming up. Will you be there in attendance? If not - who's fooling who?

Galatians 4:6-10 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that he shall also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As have we therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Jude 1:16-21 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having man's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirt. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.