The Blessing of Hard Work
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 | November 29 – December 5, 2023
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
~ 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12
From the beginning, God has desired that we work. Look back to the first book of the Bible, to Genesis 2:15, after God created Adam: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” God immediately gave Adam something to do, something to keep his hands and mind occupied. Then, in Genesis 2:19-20, God tasked Adam with naming every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens. It wasn’t until later, when Adam and Eve became idle, that they fell into temptation and ate the forbidden fruit.
King Solomon, one of the wisest men ever to have lived, reminds us of the value of hard work and of the danger in idleness. He tells us in Proverbs 14:23, “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” In Proverbs 13:4, Solomon writes, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” In other words…
Hard work produces, idleness reduces.
Paul tells us in the New Testament that it is good to work diligently, to earn our own living. But he also tells us in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” In all that we endeavor to do, let it honor God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Hard work satisfies the soul. In addition to providing for our families, innately, we know it pleases God. It’s what God has desired from the beginning—that we tend His garden, help build His church, do His good work, feed His sheep.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for empowering us to work hard.
Let all that we do glorify You to those around us.
~ AMEN
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