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I’m focusing on Proverbs for Business from the book of Proverbs, which has 31 chapters. I encourage you to read one chapter every day.
Proverbs 10:4: Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Over and again the Bible admonishes us as Christ-followers to be diligent workers. God gave Adam the first job description and “put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen. 2:15).
The Apostle Paul often condemned laziness. To the church at Thessalonica he wrote:
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14: Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Have you noticed that idleness—laziness—often leads to disruptions. You’ve heard the old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” and it’s true. Staying busy and productive will keep you out of trouble.
2 Thessalonians 3:10: For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
Giving people money who have the ability to earn it but are lazy is not doing them any favors. Requiring your children to work for their allowance is a good way to teach them that hard work brings success.
In telling the parable of the talents, Jesus gave the strongest condemnation to laziness. To the one servant who did nothing with his talent, he called him a “wicked, lazy servant.” Laziness is a sin. And we are living in a world that condones it, that rewards it sometimes with unearned money, causing some people not to even try to find a job.
You may not be the smartest person on your job, or the most educated or the most experienced. But you can always be the hardest working, most diligent person where you work. That is a wonderful testimony of your commitment to Jesus Christ. It is one way your light can shine in a dark world.