Hebraic Musing – Does the Bible Encourage Working for a Living?
Have
you heard that we are to give to the poor and needy? And these Bible verses seem to say so:
·
“But whoever has this world's goods, and
sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of
God abide in him?” 1 John 3:17 NKJV
·
“Blessed
is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”
Psalm 41:1
·
“He
who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has
given.” Prov.19:17
Unfortunately, Socialism,
Communism and welfare programs have been justified by quoting those Biblical
references. BUT to what extent do they
enable laziness and an unwillingness to care for oneself or “pay one’s own
way”? In my travels I’ve encountered
problems with socialism in workplaces, for example, in Yugoslavia a supervisor
could not get the communist-government mandated employees to produce, nor could
they be terminated!
The Bible requires us to discern
genuine needs in
order to avoid dependency and enablement.
Timothy is advised to use discretion in determining needs. “If any woman who is a believer has widows
in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with
them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.” 1 Tim. 5:16
NIV
For simplicity sake,
in our workplaces there are two distinct roles for all workers:
·
Leaders,
supervisors, bosses & owners (entrepreneurial types)
·
Employees
who are like biblical bondservants (committed to work for benefit of the
enterprise).
How is a bondservant commanded to
behave? Here’s a classic biblical reference to employee/workers. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in
everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their
favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:22-23 In
other words – “You who are servants obey your owners.
Work hard for them all the time, not just when they are watching. Work for them as you would for the Lord
because you honor God. And thus you become
a witness for Christ!”
What
does the Bible say about being lazy? Here’s clinchers for those who are
capable but are willing to let the government, welfare or others care for them:
·
“If
anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” 2 Thess. 3:10 NKJV
·
"Laziness casts one into a deep
sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.” Proverbs 19:15
·
“The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” Prov.12:24
·
“Because of laziness the building
decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks.” Eccl.10:18
Does the Bible encourage and
command us to work for a living?
Consider these:
·
“He
who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 10:4
·
“He
who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity
is devoid of understanding.” Proverbs
12:11
·
“In
all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23
“The rich rules
over the poor,
….” Prov.22:7 But there is biblical advice to rulers about
how to rule.
·
“Masters,
give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a
Master in heaven.” Colossians 4:1
·
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to
them likewise.“
Luke 6:31
Point(s) to Ponder
How can your
work be a testimony of your faith?
When we obey
the authority figures in our lives, aren’t we ultimately serving Christ?
How to never
have to work another day in your life! …
Find a job you enjoy.
Why not become
a “Workaholic” for the Lord?
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and
not unto men,” Colossians 3:23
Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd
May 17, 2022
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew
roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)” Weekly
“Hebraic Musings” InsightsByYosef.blogspot.com
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