I love this about Paul; he desired not to be like the others he wanted to work harder than everyone for Christ. In verse 9 right before he says, "For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church." He doesn't let what he did in the past stop him from doing what God had for him. As we saw he said God poured out His favor on him and he worked harder than anyone else.
What I love about this is He (God) doesn't care where we were, He wants us to work hard to be who He made us to be. At The Rock Church we say every service; The Rock, a church that cares where you going...and not where you've been. Paul didn't get hung up on who he was, he, said I have changed because of God's working through me by His grace. If God doesn't have favorites, and He doesn't, then we can all work hard and grow so we are moved by the Holy Spirit to bear fruit. It goes on to say in verse 22, "Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life." We need to believe this and belong to Christ letting go of what use to drive us and let the Holy Spirit drive us.
When we work hard it's not to earn something, it's so we can live that something out. I want to end with the end of chapter 15 and I want you to really look at what it says and believe it, verses 57-58 "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." Nothing we do for the Lord is useless, go, be a light and work hard to bear fruit. Amen