Hello Readers…I think you will really like this…..if you give the truth a chance!!
I have been thinking about a verse, Proverbs 18:9, that can open your eyes to some straight forward truth if you will be open to it. When I was much younger, I remember thinking occasionally that God was sometimes so frank in the way He spoke His truth…well, I thought this truth might drive people away. One of the reasons that I believed this way is that when I was growing up, my family did not deal with the truth openly. My family, like many of your families, had many secrets and when someone simply and plainly told the truth – it seemed like they were being rude or trying to hurt someone’s feelings! Thank God I have matured somewhat now (still on that journey!) and I see His brilliance and His love in the way God tells us His truth without beating around the bush…without mincing words. He wants the best for us – so He gives us His truth boldly! Here it is:
Proverbs 18:9: “He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide.”
Do you agree with me that those are powerful words? This tells us so much about the character of God and what he expects of us. Let’s look at the first part that deals about “work.”
First of all, God wants us to know that the work that we do while we are on this Earth is really very important! Do you know why? Because (in my study and therefore in my opinion) God has a plan (a very good plan!) for each of our lives and that plan includes the work that we do while we are here. Maybe you are saying to yourself, “Well, what could God possibly expect of me – my job is
only that of being a bookkeeper…or perhaps a waitress…or a construction worker…or a ______ (you fill in the blank). Or let’s consider one other possibility, “I was just laid off or fired from my job – so what does God expect of me NOW?!” I believe that God expects you to do your best at whatever you are doing. Period. If you are laid off, you can help your husband, wife, family, or friends in whatever they need while you are praying for God’s will and His blessing for your next opportunity to do work that brings glory to His Name! Any job can bring glory to His Name if you have a righteous attitude and give your best efforts! If you believe that you are not in His will in your areas of work, you need to get on your knees or your face before Him and ask for guidance. Be open to His leading because His answers may come to you through family, friends, reading (like this humble blog), television or a Divine Knowing. Our Lord wants to work through you. Yes, YOU – I do not care what mistakes you have made in life!! There is a specific job that only you can do in your own way. Yes…he will let someone else do the chosen work if you ignore His leading, but you will miss your Divine purpose and a lifetime of joy and blessings.
To summarize the first part of this verse in our language of today, if a person performs his/her job in a “loose” way – it would mean that, that person is not “attached,” meaning that he/she feels no obligation to their employer and is performing their job without taking full responsibility of what is required to do the job well. He/she is not respecting the rules and is lacking loyalty to the employer. Looking at the meaning of “slack,” shows us that this worker is characterized by slowness, sluggishness, and without energy. That sums up a man or woman who is not doing a good job and the Bible describes this person as a brother to him who is a destroyer. Wow, there are those strong words again. God tells the truth boldly! In other words, to do a job poorly is the same as destroying the product of the work.
Is there any clearer way that God can tell us that we must be diligent workers? I know that after this study, I will give my best to the people at work who depend on me. Will you do the same? If God is calling you to a different work field, trust Him and follow His leading.
May each of us give our best wherever we are. I will do my best to discuss the end of this verse before the week ends.
Walk in peace…work with honor..
Your friend,
Macky
P.S. Remember…”Every man dies, but not every man truly lives.”
