Wisdom about Work
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.Proverbs 31:17
Monday Morning blues, getting past hump day, living for the weekend, and TGI Friday reflect our culture’s attitude toward work. Like Garfield, the comic strip cat, our world loves food and naps and hates work and Mondays.
Dear sisters, this must not be! Wise women whistle while they work, instead of singing the blues. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, they roll up their sleeves and set about their work vigorously with arms that are strong for their tasks (Proverbs 31:17).
The Proverbs 31 woman isn’t the sole example the book of Proverbs gives us in being diligent, industrious, and resourceful in our work. Chapter 6 points us to ants! Let’s gain some wisdom about work through a tutorial from a bug.
- Humanity was created to work. From the beginning God intended for us to see work as a privilege and to receive it as a blessing. Ants instinctively understand this. Work isn’t something we have to do; it’s what we get to do! The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). Work is a gift from God to man!
- Be diligent and self-motivated in your work. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler (Proverbs 6:7). It doesn’t need work incentives, commissions, employee discounts, overtime pay, and year-end bonuses to motivate her to stay on task. Ants exemplify what Paul instructed the Colossians when he said, Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the LORD (Colossians 3:22). Like the ant, the wise are self-starters and team players. No matter what the job or who, if anyone is watching, they do their work with all their heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23).
- Be timely in your work. The ant stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:8). Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer (Proverbs 30:25). The ant doesn’t put off her work until her stomach growls or she feels like moving. When it’s time to work, she gets to it! The wise are timely in their work; fools are procrastinators. When given a responsibility, wise women give their best and are tenacious in completing the job.
Wisdom Step: Compare your work ethic to that of an ant. If course corrections are needed, make changes today.
Proverbs, not surprisingly, has a great deal to say about the daily occupations of mankind. Generally, it is not what we do, but how we do it that matters most.
Kenneth B. Wingate |
