Ugh! Hard work? Yuck! Isn’t it just easier to sit back, relax, and let the world turn? Well, sure. But what fun is that?
Created For Work
The more I work, the more I understand that this is one thing I was born to do. When you think about it, work is truly life. Doing something productive is built into our very nature.
God intended that we work so that we can support ourselves – and there’s a lot of work out there to do! Work was not originally created to be a curse, it was created as a natural part of Eden. Take a look at one of the very first pages in the Bible:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” -Genesis 2:15-17 NIV
It is clear that God wanted us to play a significant role in the upkeep of the resources provided to us. It is also important to point out that we are ultimately dependent on God to give us success and rest. Consider what is written in Psalms:
If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? -Psalms 127:2 The Message
There is a partnership between God and God’s people when it comes to everyday work. We must work together with God to accomplish those things he would have us do. If you’re working hard and not getting ahead, consider getting a second job. This should only be temporary, however, because rest is just as important.
Diligence Wins
It is very true that diligence pays off in the end. You can work yourself to death and still get nowhere if you are not diligent in what you are doing. So many people start a project and never finish. If you find the discipline to consistently contribute your best work over a period of time, you’ll become wealthy.
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. -Proverbs 10:4 NIV
Consistency is the key. It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you diligently plan and act on those plans. Don’t forget that God is with you in the process. In fact, the Lord is the one who makes it all possible. Let’s surrender to the supervision of the one who made it all. Shall we?
John,
Thanks for the devotional post. I really like Proverbs 10:4, but I think as Christians we have to be careful on how we define wealthy. John the Baptist was very diligent in his work for Christ, but I think we would all agree that his lunch came from the “value menu”.
Great post!
i love to work but something that i hope God gives me in the work that i have to do is enjoyment and good results. Even solomon said that work is one of the few things in the world that you have to enjoy. So getting stuck in a dead end job that pays next to nothing is not really my way of enjoying life. What i hope is that God would bless me with a full time (good) income over the internet because i really like logging on every time