Today, I warn you that I will be using a four letter word that some of you might not like: WORK! Work gets mixed reviews, doesn’t it?
Some of us work too much. We are a nation of workaholics. People working 60, 70, 80 hours a week to “get ahead.” People who work early, stay late, and bring their work home with them. One father kept bringing his work home with him and his 6-year-old asked him why. Daddy explained that he couldn’t finish it all during the day. The child thought for a moment and asked, “Then why don’t they just put you in a slower group?” Yes, some of us work too much.
Some of us work too little. We are a nation that worships pleasure and entertainment. Some of us are working just to get a paycheck. We live for the weekend. Work for some of us is just a necessary evil that pays for our fun.
God’s word for today can help us with two topics that are close to our hearts. One, how to increase our level of joy at work. Two, how to make more money. Work takes up a huge portion of our lives. It may seem separate from our faith. But God wants us to know that we can be just as God-focused at work as we can be in church.
Earning your money
Series: MoneyWise
Text: Selected Proverbs
Proverbs is God’s little book of wisdom. One area of life that’s covered in Proverbs is personal finance. God’s blessings in the area of finance don’t always translate to a bigger bottom line, but His blessings bring joy to people who are passionate about pleasing Him with their money.
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.
Proverbs 10:22 (ESV)
So, this January we will be seeking God’s wisdom about money:
how to earn it,
how to share it,
how to use it, and
how to save it.
Today, we are going to ask and answer three questions: Why should I work? That’s our motive. How should I work? That’s our method. Who does the work? That’s our means. Let’s get started.
Why should I work?
Maybe you’ve seen the bumper-sticker that says, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” That’s the reason lots of people go to work. But God has better ideas for us. Why should I work?
… to honor the Lord.
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
The “whatever” in this verse applies to your job. This is revolutionary. Do you see what this verse says? Your whole life, including your secular job, can honor God. We’ll see how that can happen in a few minutes.
Why should I work? … to honor the Lord.
… to meet my needs.
10Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat."
11Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people’s business.
12In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living.
II Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NLT)
Able-bodied people who choose to live in idleness and eat because of another person’s sweat are in rebellion against God.
Why should I work? … to meet my needs.
… to help the poor.
Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.
Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)
A tsunami may hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India. A drought may strike a village in Africa. A robber may steal what you’ve earned. A disability may cut your earning power. All this is part of the curse that sin brought onto the world. But God in His mercy has said that the work of the able-bodied in prosperous times should supply the needs of the helpless, especially in hard times.
By this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
Some of you remember Flip Wilson, he comedian. He played a character called “The Rev.” One of his routines went something like this: “Brothers and sisters, with the help of God we can see this church move from crawling on its knees to walking on its feet.” And the people said, “Let it walk, Rev, let it walk.” And the Rev said, “Brothers and sisters, with God’s help we can see this church move from walking to running!” And the people said, “Let it run, Rev, let it run.” And the Rev said, “Brothers and sisters, with God’s help we can see this church move from running to flying! And the people said, “Let it fly, Rev, let it fly.” And the Rev said, “If this church is going to fly, it will take tithers. It will take people to give.” And the people said, “Let it crawl, then, let it crawl.”
I think we all want this church to fly in the way we help people. Let’s work hard so we can give to help.
Why should I work? … to help the poor.
… to share the gospel.
Out there in the marketplace we rub shoulders with unbelievers. If we do our work God’s way, we will build bridges for the good news about Jesus so that people can see the beauty of Christ and come to know Him as Savior.
11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you,
12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
I Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)
God wants His people to be scattered like salt in all kinds of God-honoring professions. You’re not just a teacher or a carpenter or a salesman. You are an ambassador for Christ. There is a close connection between the way we do our work and the attitude that unbelievers will have toward Christ. Some people in this room are in love with Jesus today because of the way that others of you have conducted yourselves at work. Thank you!
Why should I work? … to share the gospel.
OK. We’ve seen godly motives for working. What are the godly methods?
How should I work?
Let’s look at Proverbs, God’s book of wisdom. Theres’ something here for the homemaker, for the student, for the athlete… as well as the salesman or tradesman.
1. … work diligently.
Over and over in Proverbs, the lazy person is challenged.
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)
If we won’t give ourselves passionately to our work and stick to it, we will make ourselves poor. But if we are diligent – hard-working – then we’ll increase what we have. Why do some people get ahead and others don’t? You sometimes hear people whine, “Hey! He got a break and I didn’t! I wasn’t at the right place at the right time.” Quit blaming circumstances. Sometimes, it’s just laziness that keeps us from moving forward.
In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23 (NASB)
I know a Christian man who owned a transmission shop. He once told me, “I don’t like to hire Christians.” “Why not?” “They think that since I’m a boss who is a believer, they can talk about Jesus and the Bible all day, but they don’t get all the work done.”
Bottom line? Work more and talk less. All talk and no work will make you poor. Some people have a dream and can talk about it. They have big plans. They can spell it all out and draw it up. But it’s the little day-to-day details and duties that trip them up. They can’t get off the mark or stay on track. They talk about what they want to do. It’ a good plan. But the intentions never get turned into actions. That’s what earns a profit.
There’s more. Diligent workers overcome the tendency to make excuses.
13The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!"
Proverbs 26:13 (ESV)
Look at the excuses. Someone is being challenged to work hard. “I can’t. There’s a lion in the road!” He always comes up with some excuse, some difficulty that is “insurmountable.”
Hey! Go kill the lion! Lions aren’t out too much during the day anyway. Get your work done! You’re just coming up with all the reasons why you can’t.
14As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.
Proverbs 26:14 (ESV)
You’re upset that you can’t earn more? Maybe you’re really in love with taking it easy. You lie on one side until you are tired of that and then you turn over to the other side… like a door on a hinge. Taking it easy equals financial ruin.
15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
Proverbs 26:15 (ESV)
Finally, the lazy person gets up. But he might as well have stayed in bed. He can’t even feed himself. “Would you fix me something for supper? Oh, how about feeding it to me?”
16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.
Proverbs 26:16 (ESV)
The lazy person thinks he’s smart. He has an answer for everything. His friends can come up with all kinds of ideas about job opportunities. It doesn’t do any good. The lazy person can give reason after reason after reason why it won’t work for him. He thinks he is wise enough. He thinks he’s good enough. He thinks he’s worked enough.
How should I work? God says, “Work diligently.”
2. … work skillfully.
Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Proverbs 22:29 (ESV)
Skilled work. This is sometimes hard to see. There’s an epidemic of sub-par work out there.
The great leader Martin Luther wrote, “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” Work skillfully!
You might be standing before obscure men now – working in a small place. But work on your skill. Take some classes. Read some books. Interview the best in your field. Apply what you learn. And one day, you will find yourself standing before prominent people. You’ll rise up. Be faithful in small things and God will put you in charge of big things.
I think of Joseph, one of God’s people in the OT. He was a talented young man. But because of the jealousy of His brothers and the lies of his first employer’s wife, Joseph ended up in jail. But he used his adminstrative and organizational skill there. God not only orchestrated events that sprung him from prison, He also put Joseph in place as the #2 man in all of Egypt.
You don’t like your current position? Grow in your skill. And after you do that, put your finger on this verse and ask God for a promotion. See what happens.
How should I work? God says, “Work skillfully.”
3. … work wisely.
Lots of people put in the hours. They work hard, but they don’t work smart. This next verse gives us a phrase that describes what some of us are doing from 9-5.
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Proverbs 12:11 (ESV)
Follows worthless pursuits? No! Follow worthwhile pursuits.
Some practical advice. Get clear on how you add the most value to your organization. The reason a boss should give you a raise is because you are worth it. You need to understand how you add value. You need to know what at work is a trivial pursuit – a worthless pursuit – for you. You might just be spending time at work doing things that don’t really add much value to your organization.
I read an idea this week about how you might get a raise. Make an appointment with your boss to discuss what you might do to add more value on the job. Tell him or her that you are on a mission to improve the quality of what you do and that you’d like a few minutes of his or her time to discuss how you might best accomplish this. You’re wanting to find out two things: 1) How what you currently do adds the most value to the organization and 2) what else you might do to add more value.
Focus on the 80/20 rule. 80% of your value to the organization comes from 20% of your effort. So, if you can work more of your time in 20% activities, you will have increased your productivity. And you’ll “wow” your boss.
19 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
Proverbs 28:19
Have you been chasing fantasies? Stop! Work your land. That’s the wise way to work. That is the way to get the blessing of God. Quit living in a dream world.
20 A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 28:20
This verse explains why people cahse fantasies. They are eager to get rich. There are people who are hoping and praying to win big. They don’t really want to work wisely. They are hoping for a little luck. “If I join this marketing outfit or call that 800 number to try that infomercial method or hit it big on the lotto… If only Mayor Campbell is successful in getting gambling going in Cleveland, my chances of hitting the jackpot will skyrocket.” Chasing fantasies.
God says, “No! Work wisely! Quit chasing fantasies.”
How should I work? God says, “Work wisely.”
4. … work consistently.
A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
Proverbs 20:4 (NIV)
Some people seem ready to work at the wrong time. “Hey, let’s go plow!’ “But it’s January. You can’t plow in January.”
This willingness to work when the time is not right is often just be a smokescreen. When spring hits and it’s plowing season, these people aren’t ready to work. They find an excuse.
So, the seed doesn’t get planted and the harvest doesn’t come it. You didn’t plow when it was the right time. You didn’t consistently do what you were supposed to do when you were supposed to do it. So, don’t be angry with God if you aren’t prospering. And don’t be running to the people who plowed and harvested to bail you out of a difficult jam that you really made for yourself.
I was talking with a businessman this week. He’s having a great January. Why? His staff did some calling in December when people didn’t really want to do business. But they made the calls anyway. They plowed. They planted seeds. Now the clients are ready to talk and ready to do business. And his complany was number 1 in his field last week.
How should I work? God says, “Work consistantly.”
5. … work expectantly.
Did you know that God says you can expect to be rewarded?
The work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
Proverbs 12:14b (ESV)
Do your work for the glory of God and for the good of the people and you will reap what you have sown.
What if you really went on a mission to add value to your organization? Then at some point in the next few months, you might just want to ask for that raise! You’ve been focusing on the 20% activities that add the most value to your organization. You’ve been bringing in new clients and customers. It would make more sense for the company to give you a raise than try to replace you.
Notice the satisfaction of the hard worker. That’s really the greatest reward.
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper and be satisfied.
Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
How should I work? God says, “Work expectantly.”
OK. We’ve seen glodly motives and methods for work. What are the godly means?
Who does the work?
How you answer this can make your way of working distinctive. Let’s face it. Some non-believers have a work ethic that puts ours to shame. It shoudn’t be that way. What ought to make us and mark us is the answer to this question: Who does the work? If we answer this question correctly, we’ll get more joy out of work and maybe even make more money.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.
Philippians 2:12b-13a (ESV)
Now, this verse touches on the whole of the spiritual life. But our work – our earning money – is part of that whole. Who does the work? Well, it’s us. “Work out your own salvation.” And it’s God. “God is at work in you.” It’s that last part that I want to focus on.
Try to change the way you work on your own and you will run out of gas. You can’t just say, “I’m going to gut it out. I’m going to change myself. I will work more diligently, more skillfully, more wisely, more consistently, more expectantly than ever before.” That’s self-effort. That’s change from the outside-in. It will only work for so long and then you’ll go back to being the same old you.
God’s way of changing us – and changing the way we work – is by looking at Him, at Jesus.
And we all… beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed…
II Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
How are we changed by God? By looking at the glory of the Lord – by seeing Jesus.
And what do you see when you see Jesus? Well, one thing to see is that Jesus was (and is) a worker. Theologians talk about the work of Jesus Christ.
He worked… in creation. I hope you know that Jesus is the Creator.
But of the Son He says… You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands…
Hebrews 1:8a, 10a (NASB)
See Him at work making something out of nothing. See Him making light, making land, making birds and fish and mammals. See Him making you. He worked! Every star you’ve seen in the sky, He made. Every sunset you’ve enjoyed, He made. Every pet you’ve ever loved, He made. And the Bible says that He still uphold all things by the word of His power.
Jesus worked in creation.
He worked… in redemption. Redemption is a word that describes all that Jesus did to save us from our sin. It’s not just the death of Jesus that saves us. It’s also His life, His righteous deeds that are credited to our account when we put our trust in Him. So, allthat He did on this earth was a part of His work of redmeption.
I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
John 17:4 (NKJV)
See Him working. Helping the poor. Feeding the hungry. Healing the sick. Teaching the people. Training the twelve. Calming the sea. Raising the dead. Fighting the Pharisees. Dying for sin. When He died…
He said, "It is finished."
John 19:30(ESV)
He finished what? The work. Scenes from the Passion of the Christ still move me. In one scene, Jesus is being scourged. He goes down. And then He struggles back up for more. He’s standing again. His work wasn’t finished until He took the last lash, the last nail, the last spear.
Jesus worked in redemption.
He works… in intercession.
Intercession is a word for prayer. Jesus is working right now by praying for you and for me – that we’ll be changed at home and at work, that we’ll see Him and fall in love with Him, that we’ll make it to heaven.
He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)
He hasn’t stopped working. Jesus works in intercession.
So when we work, we are following the example of Jesus. We are made in His image. He works and so should we. When He sends us to work in His image, our ditches are to be dug straight, our pipefittings are not to leak, our cabinet corners should be flush, our surgical incisions should be clean, our meals should be nutritious and attractive, because Jesus is a God of order and beauty and competence.
So, see the beauty of Jesus as One who worked. When you are tempted to cut a corner, to be a slacker, to procrastinate, to fail to follow-through, look at Jesus. He worked (and works) for you. He didn’t hold back. He is our pattern and our power.
When you don’t want to wash those dishes or shovel that snow or wash your kids clothes; when you don’t want to take care of that dissatisfied customer or return that call to a client or write that thank you note; when you don’t want to run that extra lap for your team or pick up the piece of trash at the office or do your homework – remember Jesus who worked for you. Tell Him thanks and that you are working for Him. And ask Him to work through you!
A point to ponder: My work can be my worship.
Grab some glory! Show the beauty of your faith in Christ by how you work.
A verse to remember: The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.
Proverbs 10:22 (ESV)
A question to consider: What can I do to see the glory of Jesus as a worker for me so that my commitment to excellence as a worker will increase?
Please bow your heads.
Which of these areas need your attention today? Do you need to repent? Have you been failing to connect the dots from your job to Jesus? Do you need to increase your diligence, your skill, you wisdom in adding the most value to your organization? Do you need to grow in your consistency?
Do this and God will increase your joy… and, who knows, maybe even your bottom line.
