ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORK – SLOTHFULNESS OR DILIGENCE? (Part 3).
Proverbs 10. Verses 4-5 read:
“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame”
Work is unavoidable in life, and the attitude we demonstrate in the discharge of our work goes a long way to determine the impact we make in life and the benefits that come to us. The teaching on the dependence on God’s grace is not a recipe for laziness. Grace is the divine input that facilitates the execution of our work. Grace is appropriated by faith. It must be noted, however, that faith without works is dead or produces no results. Refer to James 2 verses 18 and 26. That is to say, believers must understand that their responsibility is not limited to merely believing in the potency of God’s provision of grace; they must proceed to execute the works associated with what they believe. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 3 speaks of the “work of faith.”
We can not over emphasize the need for a positive attitude towards our work. According to today’s text, slack hands lead to poverty. Hands symbolize work, and slack hands speak of withdrawal from work. There are many who find work so much of a burden that they shy away from it when it comes up. This attitude leads to poverty. On the other hand, diligent hands produce riches. Diligent hands, mostly committed to duty. They actively embrace tasks as they arise and stay focused until fully executed. This positive attitude to work leads to riches.
Beloved, whereas Christ took upon himself our poverty and gave us his riches, one of the means for the realization of these riches is through the appropriation of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to execute our work in a diligent manner. Refer to 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9. To conclude, with grace as a common denominator to all men, let us approach our work with the right attitude of diligence, not with slack hands, which leads to poverty.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏