Labouring For Heaven

Οτι χρὴ τὸν τοῦ καλοῦ ἐφιέμενον, μὴ μόνον λογισμῷ, καὶ λόγῳ , ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργῳ τὸν κόπον ἐνδείκνυσθαι διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου, ἵν' οὕτως ἐπιτύχῃ οὐρανίου ἀναπαύσεώς τε καὶ βασιλείας, γεωργήσας τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς πολυειδοῦς ἀρετῆς. Βλέπε τί φησιν ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰακώβ· Ισσάχαρ τὸ καλὸν ἐπεθύμησεν, ἀναπαυόμενος ἀνάμεσον τῶν κλήρων, καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν γῆν, ὅτι πίων ὑπάρχει, ὑπέθηκεν τὸν ὦμον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πονεῖν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ἀνὴρ γεωργός. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης δὲ Ἱερεμίας λέγει· Δὸς τὴν καρδίαν σου εἰς τὸν ὦμον σου· τουτέστιν, τὰ ἀγαθὰ βουλεύματα εἰς ἔργον ἐξάγαγε πρακτικός γενόμενος. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΡΝΕ' Θελλασιῳ Διακονῳ Source: Migne PG 79.145d-148a

It is necessary to apply oneself to goodness, and not only in one's thoughts or with the tongue, but even to show it in works and toil all through one's life, for thus having cultivated the multifarious fruits of the virtues it is possible to come to heavenly peace and the kingdom. Consider what the patriarch Jacob said, 'Issachar had a good desire, resting between inheritances, and seeing the earth, that it was fruitful, he set his shoulders to labour and was made a farmer.' And the prophet Jeremiah says, 'Place your heart on your shoulders.' 1 That is, good desires lead to the toil of work. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 155 To Thessalius the Deacon 1 Gen 49.15, Jerem 38.21 LXX