Proverbs 6:10-12 "How do you Work"

Proverbs 6:10-12

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

How do we go about our work? Does it matter to God? Do we enjoy our work? What about retirement? What about being mistreated or taken advantage of by our employer? Today we are going to consider work.

In Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”   
Work was part of God’s plan for people right from the start. Even God worked and is still at work. And when the work was done God celebrated.
Genesis 2:3 “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” 

After the Fall in the garden work changes.
Genesis 3:17-19 “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain, you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,”

Work became work! Hard and difficult. But God said on the seventh day take time to celebrate all you have done.

The sluggard of Proverbs 6 rest before he works and as a result never works at all. God has only contempt for such people. All throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes God warns us of the rewards of slothfulness and the rewards of diligence in our work.

1 Timothy 5:8 “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.  For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 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.”

Just as God commands us to work He also commands that we receive reward from it.

2 Timothy 2:6 “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”

1 Corinthians 9:9 “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop”

1 Timothy 5:18 “The laborer deserves his wages.”

Work is ordained by God for us to do. And God has ordained that we should be paid fairly.

There are other Bible passages that tell us to work as unto the Lord Colossians 3:23-25. And there are passages that tell us to not mistreat our take advantage of those who work for us. Col 4:1

Retirement may be our biggest test of faith. What will we do with the time we have the resources we have. Retirement is a gift from God. What part of it will we give back to God? Will we be sluggards, idle busy bodies, Sloths for whom God has contempt? Or will we be diligent in the use of our time? Live as unto the Lord? Will you find a way to honor God through the time you have in retirement?

How do you work?