God teaches His children that being sluggish will only cause one to stumble and endure the consequences from one’s laziness, while people with good work ethics will be truly blessed in the end. Throughout the teachings of the Hebrew wisdom it is visibly stated how God feels about laziness and what He desires from His children and their work ethic. In today’s generation so many people take the lazy way out instead of putting hard work into something. While hard work can be strenuous, in the end one will feel more proficient than choosing to be lazy instead.
The Bible is very clear on laziness and hard work. Laziness is something a lot of people struggle with, however some people are so lazy it affects not only themselves but also the people around them. For example, if a husband is lazy and does not want to go to work and make a living his family will suffer from his laziness. If everyone was lazy nothing would ever get done or things would get done half-heartedly. Many people strive to have a lot of money and nice things but most of those people are unwilling to work hard to get that. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame” (Proverbs 10:4-5). This verse is an example of how those who are willing to work will be blessed with things their heart desires while the lazy will suffer from poverty. Lazy people also make excused for why the work was not completed. One knows they could have done a good job if they had put their mind to it and not made excuses the whole time.
The hard worker is someone who is willing to work until the assignment is completed. Also the hard worker is not determined on getting praised for his work. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men (Colossians 3:23). While some hard workers may not get recognized in their work places, God will acknowledge the hard work and bless them far beyond what their work place would. Hard workers will also be blessed with sufficiently enough to eat and never go hungry. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat” (Proverbs 13:4). Another characteristic the hard worker has is being equipped for the work that needs to be completed. If one waits until the last minute, more than likely the work that needs to be done will not get finished in time. School work can serve as a great example, more often than not I find myself struggling to get assignments in on time. I find myself waiting until the last minute to complete some assignments due to the lack of time. It is vital to prepare yourself at the beginning of the week for all the work you have due. The harder you work and the more time you put into your assignments the greater the outcome.
Another important thing about hard work is doing the work with a good attitude. While hard work pleases God, if it is not done with a bad attitude He is not pleased at all. Doing the work to the best of your ability will please God, but most importantly He looks at your heart while doing the work. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14:15). If one is doing his job with a good work ethic but whimpers the whole time, he is defeating the purpose. Also, if unsaved coworkers see Christian complaining in the work place, they are getting the wrong image of how Christ would want His children to work hard with a good attitude. Having a good attitude is while doing your work is most crucial so others can see Christ through you. Sometimes I think Christians can be the most hypocritical when it comes to this. When I see Christians who are working hard, but have a nasty attitude, it makes me question their heart. God does not call us to work hard just to show others what we are capable of; He wants others to watch how we work so they might see Him through our work skills.
The hard worker can be a great example to unsaved people and also other saved people. Being a good example of how someone should work will benefit others. Christ shows us many examples in the Bible of hard work with good attitudes. Everything we do should be to the best of our ability, but also with a great attitude.