Walk of Life, Day 23, July 2021- Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs. Be Diligent
Be diligent not to overwork to be rich.
Proverbs 23:4 “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.”
While laziness, slothfulness is considered dangerous, overworking is no where to be considered less dangerous. If your desires are exceeding your need, that is considered as greed. To be employed is not against scriptures. No where it is mentioned in the scriptures that being a child of God, one has no need to work. Even apostle Paul worked as a tent maker to support his needs. (Acts 18:1-3, 2 Thessalonians 3:8) Here apostle Paul did not labor to become rich, neither did he work to earn more money to get what he wants ( selfish desires), but he worked so that he would not be a burden on anyone.
These days we find many believers living extreme lifestyles. Few don’t desire to work, they depend on parents, spouses, children for their needs. They say that they do not have any desire to earn. Few others are not satisfied with the work and pay that they receive. They wish to work continuously to earn lots of money and keep it as savings for the future.
This is not what the LORD Jesus Christ wants His children to do. As a child of God, we ought to learn about sufficiency. Being in want always throughout your life is not a good habit.
We all know that the LORD had showered manna upon the earth for the Israelites to have while they were in the wilderness. The LORD had instructed them to gather enough for the day. However, there were few who gathered much out of greed. Whatever extra they had gathered was of no use to them as it was rotten.
Even in the Lord’s prayer we pray, “Lord, give us this day our daily bread.” We pray only for this day, but not for our entire lifetime. The greed to get richer might enable you to gather material riches, but spiritually you get nothing!
Achan took the expensive cloth from the cursed city- Jericho. What did he receive in return? Death and shame!
Rich man who stored up all the grain and boastfully told his soul to eat, drink and make merry. What did he take when he died? Nothing, he ended up in hell fire.
Gehazi: was it not enough for him to stay as an assistant near the prophet? He ran for riches. What did he receive along with the riches? Leprosy.
My dear friend, are you laboring for riches? Is storing for future to be rich your motive? Let us not be like Gehazi, Achan, Israelites and the rich man. Let us not head towards real damnation. Be diligent in knowing your needs and work only to meet your needs, but not your greed.
However, there is one verse in the Holy Bible which suggests us about earning,
Matthew 6:19,29 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not breakthrough not steal.”
