DILIGENT HANDS AT WORK (1)

“He who has a SLACK HAND becomes poor, but the HAND of the DILIGENT makes rich” – Proverbs 10:4

Worthy rewards are the portions of DILIGENT HANDS at WORK: “He who has a SLACK HAND becomes poor, but the HAND of the DILIGENT makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Pro. 10:4-5). Slack-handedness causes poverty, but diligence makes rich: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Pro.10:4, NIV). Someone who “gathers in summer” is prudent; but the one who “sleeps in harvest” is shameful. The point is: We are not to be slack-handed, but diligent. Generally, diligence means “careful and persistent work and effort”; but Proverbs adds to this the element of timeliness. Diligence in God’s Word is careful and persistent work and effort done at the right time.

Some people erroneously consider WORK to be a dirty word and a consequence of Humanity’s Fall. The Truth is: Work preceded the Fall.  First, God modelled Work by engaging in six days of creative work: “And on the seventh day God ended HIS WORK which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from ALL HIS WORK which He had done” (Gen.2:2). Part of God’s included this: “The Lord God PLANTED a GARDEN eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed” (Gen.2:8). Thereafter, God put Man to work: “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen.2:15). God was the First Worker and the Author of Work.  

However, Sin turned work into sweaty struggle and toil. God told fallen Adam: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19)." Ever since then, man has laboured and sweated to survive. That’s why the typical human being hates the idea of having to work. But such an attitude leads to poverty and shame.

Proverbs is filled with warnings against wrong attitudes towards work:

Warning about loving sleep instead of wanting to work: “Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread” (Pro. 20:13). However, diligence is not about being a workaholic. Rest and sleep are not vices – we’re designed to need to rest or sleep; but doing so at the wrong time is inappropriate.

Warning about loving pleasure instead of valuing a good day of work: “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich” (Pro.21:17). God is not against pleasure. Indeed, work can be pleasurable. In Christ, work can be fun!

Warning against Laziness: “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly” (Pro. 26:13-16).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Worker. He declared: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to FINISH HIS WORK” (Jh.4:34). Again, He said: “My Father has been WORKING until now, and I have been WORKING” (Jh.5:17). And again: “I MUST WORK the WORKS of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (Jh.9:4). Diligence is godly. Laziness or slothfulness is ungodly.

Diligence is not synonymous with Busy-ness. Everyone can be busy, but it is not every busy person that’s diligent. Believers in Christ should not be known for slackness or just busyness. We must distinctively display Christian diligence, prayerfully asking in light of God’s Word, “What is the right work for this season of my life?” Then, we do the right work right when it needs to be done. Let’s engage Diligent Hands at work!