READING: Proverbs 20:1-22:16
I suppose others might accuse me of being a workaholic, but I’m deeply grateful for the work ethic my parents gave me. They were not yet Christ followers at the time, but they nevertheless emphasized the value of hard work. Both worked sacrificially to put clothing on our backs and food on our table. What they taught me was to make sure I received my paycheck with integrity; that is, they encouraged me to work so hard that I genuinely earned my income.
Given that background, perhaps you can understand why these verses about laziness caught my attention:
- Prov. 20:4 The slacker does not plow during planting season at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing.
- Prov. 20:13 Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor; open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.
- Prov. 21:25 A slacker’s craving will kill him because his hands refuse to work.
- Prov. 22:13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”
God expects His followers to work. For the believer, our Great Commission task is simply too big for any of us to be lazy. We are to work hard, all the while trusting God to draw a people unto Himself.
May He find none of us a “slacker” when He returns.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do you work hard each day?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, give me a heart that wants to work hard. Forgive me when I’m lazy.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Proverbs 22:17-24:34
