Work Diligently but With Caution
Work has been present and expected from the beginning. Genesis tells us, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Man was created to work as a part of God’s design for humanity.
The goodness of work is a theme seen throughout the Bible. Proverbs, in particular, is full of exhortations to the diligent and warnings to the lazy. Paul insists that our diligence in work is tied to our witness, giving his most direct teaching on this subject:
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 you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (2 Thes. 2:6-10)
As a body of believers committed to caring for one another, we can only function properly when everyone works hard within their unique gifts toward a common purpose…God gave us all different gifts and abilities, so work will look different for everyone. The point is that whatever we do, we should do it diligently as worship to God and as a witness to others.
Your gifting might naturally lead to some wealth, but there is a difference between pursuing your gifts to gain wealth and pursuing them to work with diligence for God’s glory.
Now that I’ve encouraged you to work diligently within your gifts, let me offer a few warnings.
Don’t use the call to work diligently as an excuse to pursue riches. Working diligently in your gifting is biblical, but, as we’ve seen, seeking riches is dangerous. Be careful that the former doesn’t become the latter. Don’t convince yourself that your “gifting” is making money and, therefore, have divine approval to pursue wealth. Your gifting might naturally lead to some wealth, but there is a difference between pursuing your gifts to gain wealth and pursuing them to work with diligence for God’s glory. How do we guard against having our pursuit of diligence turn into a pursuit of wealth? Make decisions ahead of time. Decide what limits you’ll set on your life, what giving you’ll do, how much you’ll save, and what lifestyle caps you’ll employ.
— Excerpted from Free to Follow: Discover the Riches of a Surrendered Life by Micheal Blue
Faith & Finance Perspective:
When considering how to use our gifts, the most important consideration is God’s glory. The amount of wealth, power, or influence we are capable of achieving shouldn’t cloud our judgment. While it’s all too easy to justify pursuing riches, influence, and power “for God’s glory,” the inescapable reality is that when we pursue these things—no matter the reason—they inevitably become our ultimate treasures. Before long, we become so enamored with them that we compromise our Holy Spirit-guided convictions to protect them. Ultimately, as was the case with the rich, young ruler in Matthew 19, they become the things we refuse to part with to follow Jesus.
While in our prime earning years, we must frequently and prayerfully ask ourselves how we will use the wealth we’re building. Will it ultimately be used for His glory, or to preserve and protect the earthly things we hold dear?
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. – Deuteronomy 8:18