A Motivation To Work

Proverbs 10: 4-5 has this truth, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands brings wealth. He who gather crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says, ” Make it your ambition… to work… so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Let the Holy Spirit prepare your heart with these questions. How are you seen by the general public as they see you work in the job God has placed you in? Are you seen as diligent, trustworthy, faithful and productive?

A lesson from the horse business: I knew of a Christian couple who loved Arabian horses, they saw their possession of these high quality horses from a Biblical truth, the horses belonged to the Lord, they only had stewardship over them for Him. When it came time to take any of those horses to an Arabian Horse Show, their ignorance about the business motivated them to just pull horses out of the corral, clean them up, and lead them into the arena.  This mindset prevented them from receiving the titles and benefits they should had received, considering the high quality of those horses. Often, they drove home back to the ranch living with the disappointment of defeat.

After many years, they developed a listening spirit – the Lord raised up a horse trainer who explained to them how to condition and train their horses. They applied the hard work of conditioning, training, and promotion. Taking the same horses to the same horse shows, they received the first and second place finishes their horses deserved – they were even offered $15,000.00 for one for their western pleasure horses.

This Christian couple learned to plant the seeds of hard work in the proper season, they got themselves prepared to be in the harvest field of success, no longer disgracing their breeding program, and they had no concern about paying the bills while gaining respect from others in the Arabian Horse breeding business.

God’s Biblical principle for us all, do not be lazy, be diligent so we may enjoy the wealth He has for us in whatever work were are placed in. The writer of the Book of Colossians has a truth we must all grasp and remember daily, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.