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I love Proverbs 14:4. This incredibly simple, yet profound verse says:

“Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.”

Not to be crude, but this proverb is teaching that the poor farmer with little or no cattle also has a minimal amount of “dirty work” to do in his barn. The prosperous farmer, on the other hand, that possesses a good number of cattle and other farm animals will have the never ending job of removing waste.

Now that we have had a little lesson in farming, let’s ask ourselves why this verse is even in the Bible? I believe the answer is simple. God is teaching us that the individual or the organization that is constantly moving forward and forever reaching its goals should expect to have a lot of “dirty work” to perform. Unlike the individual or the company that sees little growth and success, there are employees that need to be reprimanded, budgets that have to be balanced, money that has to be accounted for, and certain levels of success that must be sustained.

One of the biggest breakthroughs of my ministry came when I just accepted the fact that life is hard, people are tough to deal with, and any task that is worthwhile is going to be difficult to accomplish. I realized that I had a choice to make on a daily basis. Was I going to live with tightness in my chest, knots in my stomach, and a perturbed spirit, or would I patiently endure the little daily crosses that I am expected to bear? From that point on, I stopped allowing my joy and contentment to be like a yo-yo tied to a string called circumstance. My spirit was now much more stable; therefore, my ability to effectively accomplish what God called me to do was greatly enhanced.

Problems are not always a sign of failure. Sometimes they are a sign of success. So, if the shoe fits, then I recommend the following bit of advice:

“Stop complaining, grab a shovel, and be thankful that you even have enough cattle to make such a mess!”

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Article written by Christian Marriage Speaker and Coach, Dr. Raymond Force

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