All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
It can be easily seen that hard work will usually bring about a profit for a person. Being dedicated to the job and getting the job done in the best way possible, will allow a person to get promoted to a better position with better pay.
Those who do not work or do not work hard, fall into poverty. This will include people who do work, but do the absolute minimum work possible. They try to cut the corners to get out of working hard. Doing this will keep the employer from giving any pay raises or promotions and will keep them in poverty. They only talk the talk.
Looking at hard work and the rate of pay is the most common way to look at this verse. However there is the spiritual realm of a person’s life to be looked at.
In the same way that people refuse to work hard at their job, there are many people who refuse to work hard on their spiritual growth. Becoming a Christian believer in Jesus is very easy to do. Growing and maturing in Jesus is another thing. It is something that takes hard work and dedication.
Paul said in Philippians 2:12, to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. He told Timothy to fight the good fight and to take captive every thought. You are also told to put on the full armor of God so that you can fight the battle.
Each of these verses show that you must work hard. It is a battle to control your thoughts. It is hard work to fight against the schemes of the devil in this world. It takes dedicated focus to flee all sin.
If you are faithful in working hard at growing and maturing in Jesus, God will ensure you success and profit in the spiritual realm. You will hear the voice of God and God will do great things in and through you.
If you slack on it and do the minimum, you will be in spiritual poverty. You will not hear God’s voice and He will be unable to do great things in and through you.
Do not just talk about being a Christian, work at it and be one.
How hard are you working today?
Are you giving it your all?
Or are you doing just the minimum?
I pray today that God will show you areas to work harder at in your life; that you will dedicate your life to being like Jesus; that you will make every effort to grow in God; and that God will give you great spiritual success in this life.
Reblogged this on From guestwriters.
You silly bastard, did you forget that Solomon who wrote proverbs used his people to build a temple for his 1000 wives god told him not to take? These words are to inspire his people to work for him doing exactly the opposite of what god wanted.
Thank you Endar for taking the time to read and comment. I do not appreciate or see the reason for name calling.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul states that anyone who wants to eat, must work. This also implies hard work. There is nothing wrong with hard work.
Paul also states in Philippians 2:12, to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. That is the focus of my writing on the verse in Proverbs. God is working, and so must we, not to earn salvation, but to be like God is.
Yes, Solomon did some things wrong, but that does not mean that everything that he said was bad. Are you insinuating that we do not read the book of Proverbs, because Solomon did things that were against God’s commands?
Every person has faults and makes mistakes. God uses us, even when we make mistakes, as long as we turn our hearts back towards Him.
I trust you understand what I am saying. Again, thank you for reading.