Biblical view on work

Many people ask how to be prosperous while seminars and even religious groups teach it. Being prosperous in not wrong. God would not have created it if He doesn't want us to be prosperous.... Also, we don't have to poor to live a holy and pleasing life to God.

Work is a command from God

God commands all able-bodied persons to work. Exodus 20:9 says, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work; and on the seventh day you shall rest." All have to work and those who does not sins. Some people work through others' hands. They tend to work with their mouth alone by commanding others to work for them. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, "Make it your ambition to work with your hands." Godly people are working people.

Ephesians 4:28 says, "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands." This verse pertains not only to the conventional stealing we know. We are stealing if we get something others have worked for. There are families where only one person works while other members of the family just stay at their home and spends money. They should only be excused if they are still young, disabled or are very old already enough to work right?

"You will never be prosperous unless you work."

Why work?

God commends it. In proverbs 31:13, God praises a working woman. In our homes, a worked-out hand of a woman is a trophy. What can a smooth-skinned hand of a woman be proud of if she does not know how to work. Husband and children recommence a mother with working hands. "Her children arise and call her blessed." We should work because God commends it.

God exemplified it. In the beginning, God worked. Genesis 2:2 says, "By the seventh day God has finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." God rested also because He worked. Godly men of God also exemplified work. Imagine the work of Noah in building the ark to accommodate the land animals and the birds. David created thousands of musical instruments for the temple to be played by 4,000 full-time musicians during his time. The glory of God comes down on earth for true worship coming from a true heart. One time out of industry, the apostle Paul spoke a sermon even during night time.

Work is God's way and provision to prosperity. God have chosen work as our way to prosperity. Anyone who works has the right to eat. Some people pretend to work in order to eat. Even children are meant to work in order to eat. They help in household chores like cleaning the house, cooking, and taking care of the younger siblings. Just imagine a tired parent coming home from work will always still clean the house and cook for dinner. Those who know how to ask for allowance should also know how to work. Parents give to their children because of love. The children should know this that they may also show their love to their parent by giving helping hands when inside the house. The more their parents do not ask them to work, the more they should volunteer in doing household chores.

Work Earns profit. Proverbs 14:23 says, "All hard work brings profit." We should not be ashamed to sell something'' to gain profit. We work for the profit in the first place. For our friends who have their own business, we usually ask for discounts and free stuffs. If we are their friends, we should be the one to understand the situation that they are working for profit and yet we ask stuff with discount and things for free. Sometimes we even tease them for their job. We should be the ones to encourage them more and support them for their industry.

People in the world are not meant to be poor. Many just have lifestyle designed for poverty. Psalms 128:2 says, "You will eat the fruit of your labor."

Hard-working people earn even good sleep. Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "The sleep of a laborer is sweet." If you find it hard to get asleep (except for the insomniacs), take time to think if you just lack of work.

God blessed work
God blesses those who work through His justice and through His favor or His pleasure. God's justice makes sure that workers are blessed. God created the natural laws and phenomena. He created formulas that if you started something and continued in doing it, you'll get the product. Work gives reward and even rewards. Proverbs 24:12 says, "Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?" if you want God to pay you, then do some work. His justice will see to it that you get rewarded.

God also blesses us through His favor/pleasure. Satan reacted to God's favor to Job when he said in Job 1:10, "Have you put a hedge around him and his household and everything that he has? You have blessed the works of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land."

If there's such as God's favor, there's also God's withholding of a blessing. In short is a curse. There are works that God despises. Ecclesiastes 5:6 says, "Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, 'My vow was a mistake.'" Turning back promises is despised by God and "Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?"

Favor is up to God. It is not his duty. We prosper or not depending on God's favor and we are not to blame God if His favor is not with our work. We should check ourselves instead. We affect God's favor by the things we do. We may make Him angry through words we say. We won't prosper if He will not allow it. God doesn't destroy our work. Removing His protection already makes our work to be destroyed. Everything in this planet leads to destruction because of our sin. Because of our fallen nature, we tend to be greedy, have murderous intentions and have selfish attitudes. All things are meant to be destroyed because of sin.

Can we override destruction? Only God can provide a protective fence around us. His protection is the only thing we need. God doesn't have to destroy us. All he have to do is remove His protection and we are destroyed automatically. Try not washing yourself for a day or two and describe your smell afterwards. All are meant to decay. We are just slowing down the process by doing something. Our destruction is natural and we need God's protection to be exempted with the natural process severed by sin.

In spite of our sins, God is so gracious to give us things that we enjoy. We are children of disobedience but God still give things we enjoy. God have all the authority to allow things to happen and it is He who exempts us from the consequences of sin.

Other people prosper while some do not and God or any other people are not to be blamed about such. We should check ourselves instead for unpleasant words we say or things on pour mind that displeases God. We are accountable for every word we say. There's power in words as God created things with His words. God indwells us and has created us in His own image that there's also power in our words.

Words we say usually come back to us that we should guard our tongue. It's better to bless people that blessing may also come to us. For every work we speak we should ask ourselves if it could happen to us. Just look at Satan, all his lies are just coming back to him.

Ethics of Work

Focused. Godly works are concentrated. Ecclesiastes 8:9 says, "I applied my mind to everything done under the sun." Solomon focused by applying his mind. You will not catch any if you run after two ducks.

Steadfast. Don't leave your work because of impatience. Psalm 104:2 says, "Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening." On the average, we are to work 8 hours a day, 8 hours to sleep and have 8 hours for ourselves. A godly work is steadfast; it is done until evening.

Righteous. Work is not blessed until done with righteousness; no cheating, no lies and no tricks. Proverbs 10:16 says, "The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment." We should not envy those who cheat. They will pay for any amount cheated. Will you envy a cheater whose income was just spent for his son's surgery and was filled with worries and sadness? Earning the exact pay and being exempted from big expenses is already a blessing. "The wages of the righteous brings them life." Not only to the biological life but the meaning of our life. Doing the rigth thing should satisfy us already. Food can be bought but not appetite. Beds can be bought but not sleep. There are many gifts from God that cannot be bought by money.

Honest. Proverbs 13:11 says, "Dishonest money dwindles away but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." Money from dishonesty is gone easily and does not prosper. Though little (not because of small profit and slow business), an honest work prospers.

Industrious. We really have to be industrious. Proverbs 14:23 says, "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty." Words without work will bring you to poverty. Work is a great channel of blessing. Hard work is one great way to prosperity. Our energies should not be spent in lifting barbells and in working out. We don't have to go to gym if we really are working. There's also no need to watch for your weight and diet if you work hard. God designed us not only to work mentally but physically also.

One great way to be prosperous is to work hard. Let the Holy Spirit finish the other things not mentioned. We should confess to God the times when we lack work.

We can glorify God through work. We are familiar with worship through dancing, singing, studying His word but we can also worship God through working with the abilities He has given us.

Source: Siksik, Liglig, at Umaapaw: Work, Invest, Save, Give, Atbp. By Eduardo Mendoza Lapiz. Mandaluyong: OMF Literature, 1999.


Translated from Siksik, Liglig, at Umaapaw: Work, Invest, Save, Give, Atbp. By Eduardo Mendoza Lapiz. Mandaluyong: OMF Literature, 1999.

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