Proverbs 12:24

Proverbs 12:24

“The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the lazy will be put to forced labor.” NRSV

We live in a self-indulgent time. Every man for himself. We want our comfort; we want our indulgences; we want our recreation and leisure.

It wasn’t always so. There have been times in our history when people realized that they needed to work and work hard. When there weren’t times in life when work wasn’t necessary; everyone worked. The fact is, life requires us to work. We often look to someone else (the government, our employers, random chance) to provide what we need. And meanwhile we live beyond our means, borrowing against what we hope to have at a later time.

The Bible is clear that believers—that those who are wise in the ways of the Lord—are those who are diligent with their time, efforts, and resources, are those who are willing to work, regardless how humble that work may be. Our choice is always to be diligent . . . or to be lazy.

It’s hard not to be lazy. That is our natural inclination. We like to sit and watch TV, to play on the computer, to read a good book, to indulge in activities which make us feel good. And yet, we must ask ourselves if there isn’t something better we could be doing with our time. Could we be spending it learning more from the Lord through study of His Word? Could we be out ministering to those around us? Could we be putting our hand to the plow (so to speak) by doing the things that need to be done at work, in our homes, in our lives?

We need to ask ourselves how important everything that we have is. In this time of financial crisis, do we need everything that we have obligated ourselves to have? Do we need cable TV, DSL, cell phones, book clubs, game memberships, new clothes, vacations? Where are our priorities? If we are, as the Lord Jesus commanding us, going into the world to preach the gospel and we do so, as Paul said, with the clothes on our back, then we are doing well. If we, however, are doing everything we can to accumulate stuff and experiences and luxuries, then perhaps we need to ask ourselves where our priorities lie. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:23 NRSV).

© 2008 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. International copyright reserved. This study may be copied for nonprofit and/or church purposes only without permission when copied in its entirety (including this notice).