The Christian Worker

“He who deals with a lazy hand becomes poor; but the hand of the hard worker makes rich.” (Proverbs 10:4)

In order to have a Scripture ready to expound, I turn to a daily devotional then I study that Scripture, meditate and research what the Word of God has to say about the topic. It may take me many hours for a couple of thousand words, but I feel I have received what the Lord wants me to learn from the Scripture. Today’s Scripture is from Proverbs and seems simple enough. Let’s explore what else the Lord is telling us in this proverb.

A person who operates with a lazy hand becomes poor. What exactly is a lazy hand? In my mind I imagine someone who takes shortcuts and doesn’t follow all the procedures which a particular task would require. Let’s look at an example. If your job is to refinish furniture. There are required steps needed to take in order to do it correctly. The piece has to be sanded. It has to be primed, then painted and sealed. If any of those simple steps are skipped, the item will not be properly painted and may chip, peal or not be covered completely. We can understand a lazy hand to mean that. In some other translations the word slack is used instead. But Strong’s has defined a lazy hand differently as “treachery:  deceit (-ful, -fully), false, guile, idle, slack, slothful.” He does include idle and slothful as definitions but also included definitions that describe dishonesty. Instead of merely a character weakness, the word lazy or slack has an intentional action of fraudulence in the person’s actions. Strong’s has included both versions of the definition. God doesn’t bless deceitfulness.

Deceitfulness is a type of intentional malice to cheat a person and have personal gain, even if it’s minimal. This is more than just a character flaw. It intentionally harms another person and robs them of what is justly theirs, whether monetary or expense, reputation or respect. It belittles the person he has deceived and of whom he has taken advantage. This is sin. And God doesn’t bless sinful actions. The proverb tells us that this type of person will become poor. The meaning is to become needy and have lack. And we can understand why. He is not blessed in his work.

God doesn’t bless deceitfulness for any gain of any kind. “There is one who scatters and yet increases; but one who withholds just due comes only to poverty.” (Proverbs 11:24) In this proverb we see that the one who withholds has the same type of greediness that a fraudulent worker may have. Without God’s blessings, one will have lack and need. This type of worker will never be promoted because although he may think he’s gotten away with deceiving someone, eventually, his fraudulent ways will come to light. “The hand of the hard worker shall bear rule, but the lazy shall be under service.” (Proverbs 12:24)

This type of person most likely is ungodly in all his ways. Like Cain who wanted to do things his way instead of diligently following God’s instructions and was rejected. This type of person is not considering that he is accountable to the Lord Almighty in all his actions, words and thoughts. “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for that food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father sealed Him.” (John 6:27) He is worldly and follows his flesh. If this person calls himself a Christian, he most likely hasn’t fully surrendered to the Lord. “But also in this very thing, bringing in all diligence, filling out your faith with virtue, and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control, patience, and with patience, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly kindness, and with brotherly kindness, love. For if these things are in you and abound, they make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he in whom these things are not present is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his sins in the past. Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fall.” (2Peter 1:5-10)

A Christian worker is one who works as if he is working for the Lord. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men; knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24) Our work flows from a character of love for the Lord and the brethren. “Let love be without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil, cleaving to good; in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having led one another in honor. As to diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;” (Romans 12:9-11). A Christian worker should be different from that of the ungodly. “Do all things without murmurings and disputings, so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world,” (Philippians 2:14-15) God honors honesty and the character of love in our work and blesses it and blesses us. “...Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah, who walks in His ways. For you shall surely eat the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and all is well with you.” (Psalms 128:1-2) Proverbs 10:4 states that “... the hand of the hard worker makes rich.” When the Lord blesses, His blessing is not meager, but bountiful in every way. Isaiah wrote that the righteous will eat the fruit of their doings. (Isaiah 3:10) It pays to work diligently, honestly, with a cheerful and grateful heart with love for the Lord, our brethren and co-workers.

In short, the worker who is deceitful and swindles the boss or client of doing his work diligently and correctly is not blessed in his work. He is not promoted and not blessed which leads to lack and need. But the Lord expects His children to display the characteristics of someone in His family because we represent Him and His kingdom. And when we do He blesses the work of our hands. “Jehovah shall open to you His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. And you shall loan to many nations, and you shall not borrow.”

(Deuteronomy 28:12)

Let us pray:

Father God, I love You and want to represent Your love, mercy and goodness in my work. I can do that in whatever work I do, whether large or small without mumbling and complaining and as diligently as I know because I am doing it for You. Help me to love my co-workers and clients as You love them. Let Your love shine through me Lord that those who don’t know You will see and know that there is a difference between the world and Your children. Give me the ability and knowledge to do the best work I can do. And give me the strength and enabling to do it. Help me to be a good representative of Your kingdom. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen