The Benefits of Knowing the Difference Between Hard and Difficult Work
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. ”
I just completed three weddings, with all their preparation and expectations, and seven funerals, all in the same 30-day period between the middle of August and the middle of September. At times, it was hard work. Yet, it was most often difficult work. Until this week, I didn’t understand the difference between hard and difficult work until I read a meaningful article by Dr. Julian Frazier, PhD, “Most People Don’t Know the Difference Between ‘Hard Work’ and ‘Difficult Work.’”
Frazier helped me understand the difference between hard and difficult work and how appreciating the difference can improve the quality of my work and personal life. “When people refer to ‘Hard Work’, they are referring to a classification of work that requires significant mental and emotional effort, but not necessarily skill.” Frazier continues, “Hard work is measured by two major factors: 1. How long you have to do it. 2. The extent to which you don’t want to do it.” Difficult work, on the other hand, requires the addition of “expertise, competence and skill.”
Hard work is required to attain skills. Some people work hard all their lives but develop few skills. Working harder and harder without emphasizing skill development produces little long-term. The key to hard work is to develop skills that will make your life and the lives of others more meaningful and beneficial. Frazier warns against believing the adage, “If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.” I love the ministry, but serving God as a pastor has remained increasingly difficult. I have less energy than my 25-year-old pastor self, but I am doing more difficult work than 25, 35, or even 45-year-old me could have imagined. I didn’t add the demands of writing Daily Devotions, for example, until I was over 55 years old.
The difference between hard and difficult work also holds true in one’s spiritual life. The more skilled we become in prayer, service, care, and contemplation, the more God will use us to perform meaningful and enlightening tasks. Difficult work does not eliminate hard work but calls us to more hard work to become more skilled and produce more in God’s name. It is not a “vicious cycle” but a spiritual cycle of productivity and spiritual fulfillment. Do not shy away from the hard and difficult work but embrace the benefits of doing things that benefit you, others, and honor God. As my wise Grandmother used to say, “A little hard work never killed anybody.” Well, a little Difficult work won’t either.
