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Wisdom For Work Proverbs 6:1-11

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  1. How many of you read Aesop’s fable when you were a kid? Maybe you will remember the Ant and the Grasshopper.

  2. “One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

  3. There's a time for work and a time for play.”

  4. When winter came, the ant had food and shelter, but the grasshopper had nothing. Proverbs 6 says the same thing another way: ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.’ God’s wisdom teaches us that diligence and preparation lead to life, while laziness and procrastination lead to poverty.

  5. Last week we looked at God’s wisdom for money. We saw some things we should avoid and some things we should do when it comes to finances. We shouldn’t put our trust in riches, we shouldn’t be greedy for them, or dishonest with them. We need to have a change of mindset and realize that everything we are and have is God’s. He is the owner and we are His managers. We must manage it well.

  6. Today I want to show you four ways Proverbs gives us wisdom for work: work hard, work with integrity, work to provide, and work with joy and rest.”

  7. First, God calls us to work hard.

  8. If you have your bibles turn with me to Proverbs 6. If you don’t have a bible we have some on the back table. If you’re looking for Proverbs, it’s about halfway through your Bible, it comes right after Psalms and right before Ecclesiastes.

  9. Proverbs 6:1-2

    Proverbs 6:1–2

  10. So here is the situation Proverbs gives us. if you have put up security for a neighbor. Or shaken hands in a pledge. In other words, you’ve either co-signed for someone or borrowed money yourself. It says that you have trapped yourself, ensnared yourself. Remember what we said last week, debt is not sin, but Proverbs wisdom is that we should avoid it because it changes our relationship with whoever we borrow money from. But if we do Proverbs tells us what we should do.

  11. Proverbs 6:3-5

    Proverbs 6:3–5

  12. If you have shaken hands, signed your name saying that you are borrowing this money and will repay it. Proverbs says give no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. The best place to go when you need to pay back debt that you have borrowed is to work. They will give you a paycheck for doing work. It’s amazing. But proverbs says go to the point of exhaustion. Friends, hard work won’t kill you—at worst, you’ll just fall asleep before it does! Go to work and work hard. Pick up extra shifts, extra jobs. Do whatever you can to get yourselves free. Then it gives us two images. Like a bird from the snare of the fowler or a gazelle from the hand of the hunter.

  13. I know that some of you are hunters so you get this imagery. But even as good of hunter as you may be. A cheetah probably has you beat when it comes to hunting. I mean if you miss that duck or deer you’ll stop at the Food Lion and still pick up dinner. But when a cheetah misses it doesn’t eat. Watch how the gazelle moves—this is how urgently Proverbs says we should move to free ourselves from debt.

  14. Gazelle escapes cheetah video.

  15. As the gazelle get its, Proverbs says get it. Go to work and work hard to get free from the debt you have ensnared yourself to. Just like the ant keeps right on working, work. And that’s where Proverbs goes next—to one of the simplest but most powerful lessons in all of Scripture about work.

  16. Proverbs 6:6-11

    Proverbs 6:6–11

  17. Don’t be a sluggard. Consider the ways of the ant and be wise. Go to work and work hard. Don’t be lazy because it will lead you to poverty.

  18. Proverbs 10:4-5

    Proverbs 10:4–5

  19. Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. 5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

  20. Work hard don’t be lazy. Second, wisdom calls us to work with integrity.

  21. Proverbs 11:1-3

    Proverbs 11:1–3

  22. The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. 2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. 3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

  23. That’s the next piece of God’s wisdom for work — integrity. Have integrity in your work, in your business dealing. Be honest. Let’s get practical. Integrity at work looks like this:

  24. • Charging your customers fair prices even when no one would notice if you overcharged.

  25. • You tell your customers they don’t need a repair instead of doing unnecessary work just to make more money.

  26. • Refusing to cheat on the test even when everyone else in class is.

  27. • Having integrity is doing work when you are at work, instead of scrolling, or talking, when you are being paid to work. Not stealing time from your company.

  28. • It’s not stealing things from your company even when everyone else does. You don’t because you have integrity.

  29. • It means being honest and not exaggerating to get the sale or the job.

  30. • It means being honest about mistakes you or your company makes. It means not taking credit for someone else’s work or successes.

  31. Integrity of the upright guides them.

  32. Proverbs 16:8

    Proverbs 16:8

  33. Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

  34. Work hard with integrity because your work isn’t just for a paycheck. It’s to bring honor to God. Paul takes this wisdom from Proverbs and brings it into the workplace of the New Testament

  35. Colossians 3:22-25

    Colossians 3:22–25

  36. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

  37. Work hard even when your boss isn’t looking or around. You are working for more than a paycheck. You are representing God. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart—not just for your boss, but for the Boss. No, not Springsteen… the real Boss: the Lord.

  38. Your hard work will not only keep you from poverty but when we work hard as working for the Lord we honor God with our work.

  39. What would it change if we started seeing our jobs as our ministry, as our worship to God? Would that change how we viewed our jobs? Because they are. When you work hard as for the Lord, you honor Him and your work becomes worship to God. Now that doesn’t mean that we worship work, because work like anything can become an idol we worship. But it instead it should be part of our worship to God.

  40. So we should work hard, with integrity for the Boss of all- God. But what should we be working for? Wisdom calls us to work to provide for ourselves and others.

  41. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

    1 Thessalonians 4:11–12

  42. and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

  43. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13

    2 Thessalonians 3:10–13

  44. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

  45. In the church at Thessalonica there were people that were able to work but were taking advantage of the church. They were being lazy busy bodies. Paul teaches us that we are to work to provide for ourselves so that we aren’t dependent on others or the church to eat. Paul says that if someone is unwilling to work then let them not eat. As the church we are called to help take care of those who are in need. Who are unable to work or unable to care for themselves or families who are indeed in need. Paul says command and encourage those who can work and aren’t to get to work. Find a job and earn their own living.

  46. Now friends we know that there are those who can’t work and even those of us who can who at times need some extra help. And all over scripture we see our call to help meet their needs especially those in the church, the body of believers. This is not who Paul is talking about here. It’s the habitual sluggard that is unwilling to work. The unwilling not the unable to work.

  47. Work to earn a living and support yourself and to support your household. Paul again has some strong words about taking care of your family especially your household. In addressing widows and how the church is to care for widows who are really in need Paul says.

  48. 1 Timothy 5:8

    1 Timothy 5:8

  49. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

  50. Take care and support yourself and your own household.

  51. I told you last week that my parents didn’t handle money well nor taught me how to handle finances. But they did teach me the importance of hard work. Both mom and dad worked outside the house. But when I was about 5 my mom’s RA made it so she couldn’t work outside the house. Even though dad didn’t make a lot of money he went to work. Late nights, odd jobs, weekends. We didn’t have a lot but we ate, we had a roof over our heads. We didn’t get to go on all the trips or have the newest clothes or toys but dad did what he could to provide for his own household. And still he also made sure we were at church. He may not have made many games I played in but dad provided for his household.

  52. Work hard, you are working for the Lord, provide for yourself and household. Fourth, wisdom calls us to enjoy work and rest well.

  53. Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

    Ecclesiastes 2:24–25

  54. A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

  55. Even Mark Twain picked up on something God already knew—when you find joy and purpose in your work, it doesn’t feel like work at all. Mark Twain said, “find a job you enjoy doing and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

  56. Find work that you can enjoy and that give you purpose. Find satisfaction in your toils.

  57. Ever thought work was from the devil? Or a result of sin? I mean if its that bad it’s got to be. But it’s not. The pain and frustration of work came from the curse, not work itself. God has made us for purpose and work. So Find work that you can be satisfied in. And do it for the Lord.

  58. You can be contractor for the Lord, a teacher for God, a manager for God, a sales clerk for the Lord, you can work in maintenance, health care, truck driver, welder, logistics, production, all kinds of different jobs and you can bring honor to God if you work at it for the Lord. Find work you enjoy and do your best not just to get by but to honor God. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.

  59. God’s wisdom for work is that we would work hard with integrity, to provide for ourselves and household, in work that we enjoy. And that we not just work hard but learn to rest well.

  60. Psalm 127:1-2 ESV

    Psalms 127:1–2

  61. 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early

  62. and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.

  63. We need to work hard but we also need to rest well. Unlike Israel we aren’t required to observe the Sabbath every Saturday. But the idea of Sabbath is important. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Sabbath is a gift from God for our well being. It’s important that we are also taking time regularly to rest and worship God. Jesus napped even in the midst of the storms. Learn to rest well.

  64. Work hard with integrity, to provide for ourselves and household, in work that we enjoy. And learn to rest well. We know these things to be true. How many people do we know that retire to sitting in their recliner stop everything. They don’t have purpose and in a short time they are gone. God made us for purpose. Even if you retire from your job. Work for the Lord. Or opposite, that guy that works all the time while everything in their life collapses. Their marriage fails, the kids have nothing to do them, and even their health goes.

  65. A few years back there was the idea of the FIRE Movement. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) This idea of saving like crazy so you can retire early and do nothing. The idea sounds appealing—financial independence, retire early—but doing nothing gets old fast. We are made for purpose. And maybe instead of working like crazy in a job you hate you can find a job you enjoy and never work a day in your life like Twain suggested.

  66. Work hard with integrity, to provide for ourselves and household, in work that we enjoy. And learn to rest well often. This is God’s wisdom for work. You can do all kinds of different things for jobs, and you can do all of them in service not to a paycheck but to the Lord.

  67. But even with all that wisdom, there’s one more truth we can’t miss: all of our hard work could never pay the biggest debt we owed. That’s why we need Jesus. Jesus did for us what we needed most and deserved least. He came to pay a debt he didn’t owe. Because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Paul tells us that the wages we have earned with our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus.

  68. Jesus has done the work that you can’t. He paid your debt to sin on the cross. Won’t you come today and accept Jesus’ work that He has done on your behalf. Come put your trust in Jesus’ work, repenting of your sins and making Jesus the Savior and Lord of your life, meeting Him in baptism.