One of the oft repeated words of my father, while we were growing up were, “Work hard and trust God.” What wisdom is stored in these five simple words! Laziness, disinterest and half-hearted approach to work, is the prime killer of all the time, talent and opportunities the LORD God Almighty provides us.
When we look at the creation account, and God’s intention and purpose for man, we understand clearly that, we were created to be efficient and productive workers. All what is required for such a life is, provided by our Creator. Let us read the creation account from Genesis chapter one.
– “25 …And God saw it that [all what He had created so far] was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:25b-28
Here under a few pearls of wisdom from the book of Proverbs for our enlightenment, encouragement and our benefit in relation to humans, work and our approach and attitude towards it. Hope, they would help us become better workers, and not be like a person, before whom, pearls cast, and he does not know its value.
– “19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!” – Proverbs 28:19
– “11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.” – Proverbs 12:11
– “4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.” – Proverbs 20:4
– “24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labour.” – Proverbs 12:24
– “4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” – Proverbs 10:4-5
– “19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” – Proverbs 28:19
– “4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” – Proverbs 13:4
Let us learn to use all what God our Creator had given us to work, and do our best to increase it. After all our love is done, the LORD our Master will take an account of it. What do we want to hear from Him? I wish to hear the LORD say to me…
– “21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'” – Matthew 25:21. Even so the LORD help all of us.
"When God wanted sponges and oysters He made them and put one on a rock and the other in the mud. When He made man He did not make him to be a sponge or an oyster; He made him with feet and hands, and head and heart, and vital blood, and a place to use them and He said to him, "Go work.""