THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Ever known anyone guilty of job title inflation? We now call the cafeteria lady an “Education Center Nourishment Consultant,” a lifeguard is a “Wet Leisure Attendant,” and a painter is a “Color Distribution Technician.”
Ever known anyone guilty of job title inflation? We now call the cafeteria lady an “Education Center Nourishment Consultant,” a lifeguard is a “Wet Leisure Attendant,” and a painter is a “Color Distribution Technician.”
American businesses especially like to use fancy job titles. Some people call themselves CEOs—Chief Executive Officers—even though the businesses they run may have only two employees. Even large corporations can have multiple layers of vice-presidents and more managers than workers.
In fact, one large banking firm has 32,000 employees, with 12,000 of them carrying the title “vice president.” Talk about a competitive work environment!
The Book of Proverbs says nothing about job titles, but it does tell us a lot about how we are to do our work. Our work is not always easy, but it is a noble, and Christ-honoring, thing to work and earn the money we need for daily living.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. 9 How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 11 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.
Slacker (v. 6)—A person who seeks to live life without having to work for food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Most people are familiar with the fable called “The Ant and The Grasshopper,” which is credited to Aesop. The moral of the story is that it’s best to prepare in advance for the days of necessity.
Long before Aesop penned his fable, however, King Solomon shed light on the small and seemingly insignificant ant. For the slacker, ants become an object lesson. Ants are incredibly hard workers. Depending on their species, they can lift 10-50 times their body weight! Some gather and store up food for the colony during spring and summer for the harsher winter months. Others feed and care for the queen and her offspring, while still others build the nest and carve out chambers and tunnels. Whatever their responsibility, you won’t find a lone ant off by itself lounging in the shade. Ants work 10 to 12 hours a day and never stop until the job is done.
Given such truths, it’s no surprise that Solomon paid attention to these industrious little creatures when he wrote about hard work.
What lasting lessons
have you learned
from working?
- Ants teach us about self-discipline. Ants are self-starters. Ants move about their day with purpose and direction. We can certainly learn from their discipline!
- Ants teach us about perspective. These small insects know the importance of provision. Simply stated, if they don’t work, they don’t eat. The word provision literally means, “to see before.” Ants instinctively know winter means colder temperatures and less food, so they use the bounty of spring and summer to prepare in advance.
- Ants teach us about hard work. From dawn to dusk, ants work hard—and how much more so should we? Hard work is of great value.
The apostle Paul also wrote about the value of productivity to the church in Thessalonica: “In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: ‘If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.’ For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others. Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat their own food. Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thess. 3:10-13).
Paul wasn’t referring to people who could not work, but to people who had the physical ability to work but simply refused to do so. On the positive side, Paul exhorted the believers in Colossae this way: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24).
Work is more than just a means to a paycheck or a way to provide for one’s family. Work done as unto the Lord results in the reward of an inheritance from the Lord.
Whom do you know
who embodies
the principles in
these verses?
Proverbs 6:9-11
Earlier, we saw that entanglement in unnecessary debt and unwise financial agreements can result in ruin. Now we see that laziness can destroy us as well. Both lead to the same end: poverty.
Solomon used the same Hebrew word in verse 9 that he used in verse 6, translated “slacker.” This word is rich in meaning, but also fraught with great warning. Interestingly, the slacker is contrasted with the upright in Proverbs 15:19 and with the righteous in 21:25-26.
Solomon didn’t just contrast the lazy and the hardworking, or the sluggard and the diligent. Instead, he linked the hardworking and the diligent to the righteous or upright—those who conform to the character of God’s holiness. Solomon warned that those who are lazy and irresponsible are not walking in holiness; they are not in a right standing before God because they do not conform to His standard.
Solomon didn’t just contrast the lazy and the hardworking, or the sluggard and the diligent. Instead, he linked the hardworking and the diligent to the righteous or upright—those who conform to the character of God’s holiness. Solomon warned that those who are lazy and irresponsible are not walking in holiness; they are not in a right standing before God because they do not conform to His standard.
Notice the descriptions of the slacker throughout Proverbs:
- He loves excessive sleep (6:9-11; 26:14).
- He irritates those who employ him (10:26).
- His longings are never satisfied (13:4).
- He takes no initiative to meet basic needs (19:24; 26:15).
- He has no vision (20:4).
- He makes up excuses to avoid work (22:13; 26:13).
- He does not heed wise counsel (26:16).
Our culture is against hard work. Just turn on the radio or television and you’ll hear about fast and easy weight loss, five-minute exercise routines, get-rich-quick schemes, and hundreds of other ploys that promise fast, easy, and cheap living with all the success, thrills, and pleasures that only come from hard work and diligence.
It’s a mirage. Arm yourself with God’s Word and get to work.
Why is laziness a
spiritual problem?
What tips would you
suggest for balancing
work and leisure?
LIVE IT OUT
How will you respond to the Bible’s teaching about work? Consider the following options in the days to come:
- Assess. Look back at the Bible’s description of the slacker and compare that list to your own work habits. Does anything need to change?
- Set goals. Make a specific plan for how you want to approach and engage your work. Set goals that will help you find the right balance between overworking and laziness—goals that will motivate you to be productive for God’s kingdom as well as your workplace and community.
- Encourage others. Make a deliberate effort to encourage one or more of your coworkers this week. However you approach this step—write a card, send a text, initiate a conversation—be specific regarding what you appreciate about that person’s approach to their work.
As we continue to explore the topic of work, remember that we don’t work hard to gain God’s favor. Jesus Christ did the work on the cross to restore us into right standing with God. As followers of Christ, then, we work diligently as a response to His grace. Through our necessary work, we honor the One who graciously loves us.
Teacher's Notes:
Here the reality, everyone wants income, but not everyone is willing to work – or work hard – for it. An entitlement mindset believes that they should have all the needs and luxuries of life without necessarily working for them. Proverbs paints a very different picture. Work is not always easy, but it is a noble and Christ-honoring thing to do.
The ant plans and prepares for what might come. He knows that if he wants provisions through the winter he will have to work hard during the summer. The provisions are stored in the summer so there are stockpiles in the winter. The writer of Proverbs was writing to his son in a culture of time that had no government social programs to serve as a safety net against poverty. If he wanted to eat, he must work. There were no other safeguards. Without planning and proper preparations, he was doomed.
King Solomon this morning says that we would do well to observe the ant and it's work habit - work isn’t always easy but it’s necessary. And we too should be productive like the ant in the way we earn our money. Solomon goes on to develop a contrast between the ant and the sluggard that says very simply:
We, therefore, are to avoid the lifestyle of the sluggard and mimic the example of the ant.
I. Be Productive - Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.
What truths does the writer see revealed by the ant?
What antlike work ethics would honor God if practiced in our lives?
What lessons have you learned from working?
Ants do their tasks instinctively. What has to be true in our lives if we are doing the right thing “instinctively”?
Two truths we are to mimic here about the ant?
1. Work without oversight (v. 7). In other words, do your work without being forced, coerced, or manipulated by income or threat of punishment. Be self-motivated. Do your work because work is good, noble, needed, meaningful, and a blessing. The ant works without another over him. Nobody has to set their alarm or hold them accountable or check their time cards. Nobody has to tell them what to do. Ants get the job done, because that is the nature and the character of ants. They work. They were created to work. To deprive them of work would kill them.
The same should be true for us. We work because we work for a higher power and greater calling. When we work without oversight the familiar statement said around many a water cooler would never be said of us: “When the cat’s away the mice will play.”
2. Work without being driven (v. 8). The sluggards are procrastinators. They put things off until the last minute and are late for everything, if they show up at all. They blame everyone and everything for their failure to accomplish anything rather than to admit that they are lazy. They are terrible planners; in fact, they don’t plan for anything. They live for the moment, reacting to whatever comes instead of preparing for the inevitable realities of life.
Likewise, we should not have to be driven to work, but should do our work, because it needs to be done. We should work hard and prepare ahead for our winters—job loss, emergencies, vacations, retirements, etc.
II. Don’t Be Lazy - Proverbs 6:9-11
How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 11 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.
More than rest, what do sleep and slumber represent in these verses?
What does it mean to be lazy? What are some synonyms for “lazy”?
What is the potential result of idleness?
Why might we conclude laziness a spiritual problem?
Two truths we are to mimic here about the ant?
1. Work without excuses (vv. 9-10). The slacker or lazy person uses every kind of excuse to avoid work. He says, “I have to sleep a little, I do not have time to work right now.” It has been said that if you don’t want to do something that any excuse will do. No one can find more excuses to not do something than the person who is too lazy to do anything.
The ant, in contrast, is hardworking, industrious, and active. They don’t make excuses. They get up and get after it. No one has to tell them to go to work. It reminds me of another ant story.
“A golfer hit an errant shot that landed on an ant hill. His first feeble attempt to strike the ball failed, as did his second and third. Dirt and ants were flying everywhere. Finally, one ant said to another: “If we don’t get on the ball we are going to die.”
Wasn’t this the point of this teaching? Active, hard work leads to productivity and life. A failure to work leads to poverty and death. Money is earned by the sweat of the brow and with busy hands. People who do not like work receive no payment.
2. Work without worry (v. 11). This text leaves us with a final caveat: Work leads to wealth. Occasionally, some fool might fall into money through an inheritance or dumb luck. The pervasive way to wealth comes through laboring down the long road of work. The ant was industrious. He did not have to worry about the results. He knew that they would come because he had invested his efforts and made the proper payments of work.
Story: A wealthy grandfather told his young grandson who asked him about how he could become rich, too, said, “All you have to do is work half a day.” The grandson was thinking this sounds pretty easy. But before the young man finished his thought, the grandfather added, “And it doesn’t matter which half of the day you work: the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours.”
When we work without oversight, without being driven, and without excuses, then we have no need to worry. God will provide.
III. Be an Example - 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
Who does Paul say we should avoid?
How can associating with idle, lazy people influence your work habits?
What kind of example did Paul demonstrate?
How would Paul’s example translate or apply to us today?
Why is it wrong to have different attitudes about your secular or daily work and the work that is done in the church?
Few of us would openly identify ourselves as lazy. But if we’re not careful, we run the risk of thinking this lesson is for the “other guy.” Let’s not be critical of others who we think are lazy, non-productive, and at least in our opinion, a drain on society and living with an attitude of entitlement.
Let’s focus on 4 final truths we all can take from this lesson:
1. Work is not a bad thing; neither is it punishment.
God always intended for humankind to engage in productive and fruitful activity. (Gen. 1-2) We can find fulfillment in our work because work was ordained of God.
“Hard work may put callouses on your hands, but it will put contentment in your heart.”
2. Work has social implications.
We work not just to provide for our own needs but to have resources that can be used to help those with legitimate needs.
3. We work to earn; we work to save and to spend.
Good stewardship demands both. We are not to squander; neither are we to hoard.
4. The way we earn money and the way we use money are to honor Christ.
As in all things, the believer is to conduct themselves, in work, in saving, in spending, and in sharing so that others see Jesus.
Prayer of Commitment
Lord, You created humankind with a holy purpose and assigned us productive work at the outset. Therefore, may we see work and the opportunity to provide for our needs as a gift and blessing from You. Amen.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher's Notes:
Here the reality, everyone wants income, but not everyone is willing to work – or work hard – for it. An entitlement mindset believes that they should have all the needs and luxuries of life without necessarily working for them. Proverbs paints a very different picture. Work is not always easy, but it is a noble and Christ-honoring thing to do.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Click Here to Watch
The ant plans and prepares for what might come. He knows that if he wants provisions through the winter he will have to work hard during the summer. The provisions are stored in the summer so there are stockpiles in the winter. The writer of Proverbs was writing to his son in a culture of time that had no government social programs to serve as a safety net against poverty. If he wanted to eat, he must work. There were no other safeguards. Without planning and proper preparations, he was doomed.
King Solomon this morning says that we would do well to observe the ant and it's work habit - work isn’t always easy but it’s necessary. And we too should be productive like the ant in the way we earn our money. Solomon goes on to develop a contrast between the ant and the sluggard that says very simply:
- Ants are productive.
- Sluggards are lazy.
We, therefore, are to avoid the lifestyle of the sluggard and mimic the example of the ant.
I. Be Productive - Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.
What truths does the writer see revealed by the ant?
- They display wise behavior – you can learn from them
- They don’t seem to have bosses or administrators
- They work all the time to prepare for times when food is not available
- They don’t waste time and end up without any means of support – they are industrious
What antlike work ethics would honor God if practiced in our lives?
- Diligence
- Faithfulness without a leader
- Planning ahead
- Hard work
- Doing the right thing instinctively
What lessons have you learned from working?
- An honest day’s pay for honest day’s work
- If you work, you earn
- You can advance if you keep working hard
- You can earn enough for a decent life if you keep at it
- Not to give up
- Sometimes work is unpleasant, but you keep at it any way
Ants do their tasks instinctively. What has to be true in our lives if we are doing the right thing “instinctively”?
- Surrendered to, committed to God’s rule in your life
- Sensitive to God’s Spirit guiding your decisions
- A working knowledge of God’s principles as taught in Scripture
Two truths we are to mimic here about the ant?
1. Work without oversight (v. 7). In other words, do your work without being forced, coerced, or manipulated by income or threat of punishment. Be self-motivated. Do your work because work is good, noble, needed, meaningful, and a blessing. The ant works without another over him. Nobody has to set their alarm or hold them accountable or check their time cards. Nobody has to tell them what to do. Ants get the job done, because that is the nature and the character of ants. They work. They were created to work. To deprive them of work would kill them.
The same should be true for us. We work because we work for a higher power and greater calling. When we work without oversight the familiar statement said around many a water cooler would never be said of us: “When the cat’s away the mice will play.”
2. Work without being driven (v. 8). The sluggards are procrastinators. They put things off until the last minute and are late for everything, if they show up at all. They blame everyone and everything for their failure to accomplish anything rather than to admit that they are lazy. They are terrible planners; in fact, they don’t plan for anything. They live for the moment, reacting to whatever comes instead of preparing for the inevitable realities of life.
Likewise, we should not have to be driven to work, but should do our work, because it needs to be done. We should work hard and prepare ahead for our winters—job loss, emergencies, vacations, retirements, etc.
II. Don’t Be Lazy - Proverbs 6:9-11
How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 11 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.
More than rest, what do sleep and slumber represent in these verses?
- Laziness - someone who refuses to get up and face responsibilities
- Indolence, idleness, slackers
What does it mean to be lazy? What are some synonyms for “lazy”?
- Not liking to work hard or to be active
- Moving slowly, idle
- Indolent, lethargic, languid, sluggish, slothful
What is the potential result of idleness?
- Poverty comes like a robber - you will be robbed of what you really need to do or be
- Failure - loss of all that is important to you
Why might we conclude laziness a spiritual problem?
- God has given us capability to work, to earn a living - when we reject that, we are rejecting God’s plan
- Laziness demonstrates lack of concern for our family
- Shows we want to depend on others to meet our needs, not our own strength and skills that God gives
Two truths we are to mimic here about the ant?
1. Work without excuses (vv. 9-10). The slacker or lazy person uses every kind of excuse to avoid work. He says, “I have to sleep a little, I do not have time to work right now.” It has been said that if you don’t want to do something that any excuse will do. No one can find more excuses to not do something than the person who is too lazy to do anything.
The ant, in contrast, is hardworking, industrious, and active. They don’t make excuses. They get up and get after it. No one has to tell them to go to work. It reminds me of another ant story.
“A golfer hit an errant shot that landed on an ant hill. His first feeble attempt to strike the ball failed, as did his second and third. Dirt and ants were flying everywhere. Finally, one ant said to another: “If we don’t get on the ball we are going to die.”
Wasn’t this the point of this teaching? Active, hard work leads to productivity and life. A failure to work leads to poverty and death. Money is earned by the sweat of the brow and with busy hands. People who do not like work receive no payment.
2. Work without worry (v. 11). This text leaves us with a final caveat: Work leads to wealth. Occasionally, some fool might fall into money through an inheritance or dumb luck. The pervasive way to wealth comes through laboring down the long road of work. The ant was industrious. He did not have to worry about the results. He knew that they would come because he had invested his efforts and made the proper payments of work.
Story: A wealthy grandfather told his young grandson who asked him about how he could become rich, too, said, “All you have to do is work half a day.” The grandson was thinking this sounds pretty easy. But before the young man finished his thought, the grandfather added, “And it doesn’t matter which half of the day you work: the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours.”
When we work without oversight, without being driven, and without excuses, then we have no need to worry. God will provide.
III. Be an Example - 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
Who does Paul say we should avoid?
- Christian brethren who are idle - believers who do not live according to teaching of scriptures
How can associating with idle, lazy people influence your work habits?
- You pick up those same characteristics - you emulate their actions and attitudes
- People will see you with them and make similar assumptions about you
- You seek to have these people’s approval and tend to set aside any good work habits you might have in order to fit in
What kind of example did Paul demonstrate?
- Paul did not sit around idly - he didn’t “freeload” on people for meals
- He worked night and day
- He worked with the purpose of not being a burden to anyone else
- He might have deserved support from the folks in the church, but did not take advantage of that right
How would Paul’s example translate or apply to us today?
- Don’t be a couch potato
- Be a good steward of your time - don’t take advantage of the kindness of others
Why is it wrong to have different attitudes about your secular or daily work and the work that is done in the church?
- Believers should not separate lives into the secular and the spiritual
- Believers are to demonstrate their faith in all areas of their lives
- Paul neither stated nor demonstrated any such separation
Few of us would openly identify ourselves as lazy. But if we’re not careful, we run the risk of thinking this lesson is for the “other guy.” Let’s not be critical of others who we think are lazy, non-productive, and at least in our opinion, a drain on society and living with an attitude of entitlement.
Let’s focus on 4 final truths we all can take from this lesson:
1. Work is not a bad thing; neither is it punishment.
God always intended for humankind to engage in productive and fruitful activity. (Gen. 1-2) We can find fulfillment in our work because work was ordained of God.
“Hard work may put callouses on your hands, but it will put contentment in your heart.”
2. Work has social implications.
We work not just to provide for our own needs but to have resources that can be used to help those with legitimate needs.
3. We work to earn; we work to save and to spend.
Good stewardship demands both. We are not to squander; neither are we to hoard.
4. The way we earn money and the way we use money are to honor Christ.
As in all things, the believer is to conduct themselves, in work, in saving, in spending, and in sharing so that others see Jesus.
Prayer of Commitment
Lord, You created humankind with a holy purpose and assigned us productive work at the outset. Therefore, may we see work and the opportunity to provide for our needs as a gift and blessing from You. Amen.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
