“Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23:4-5
Almost everyone I know is “too busy,” with their work all of the time. Honestly, it’s hard for me not to become a slave to a job I genuinely love. But slowly—and sometimes painfully—God has been teaching me to slow down and reduce the hours I spend at my law office. Why? Because God wants me to see HIS power and receive HIS blessings from my work. If I’m too busy doing life my own way, I will miss His blessings.
The hard truth: I will never get ahead working just to make more money—I’ll only be a slave.
Even billionaires fall into this trap. In a Forbes article titled Why Do The Mega Rich Continue to Work?, Larissa Faw noted, “Despite the fact they have more than enough money to spend the rest of their lives on their yachts, many mega-rich professionals devote more than 40 hours a week in jobs that are oftentimes banal and stressful.” (Source: Forbes.com)
What a tragedy to invest the best years of your life in something you will never have the time to enjoy! Doesn’t it make more sense to invest in something you will enjoy—forever? So, who’s your investment advisor? Do you trust the world or—God’s Word? If you trust God, are you curious about what He says about finding satisfaction in work? The Bible says:
“He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
Isn’t it foolish to work all your life and never find contentment? It’s like drinking salt water to quench your thirst. It only makes you thirstier. Now, don’t misunderstand. God did create work to provide for our physical needs. But He also designed work to satisfy our soul. The problem is, if we’re working just to get more stuff, our soul will stay empty. We’re born with a thirst for purpose and accomplishment, but we must learn to satisfy our soul God’s way.
Let’s look at just three Scriptural principles about work.
From the very beginning, God created us to work:
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” Genesis 2:15
God works, and Jesus works:
“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” John 5:17
Jesus kind of dumbed it down for us about money. If we are working for God, it brings glory to Him; if we’re working for money—we’re simply a slave:
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24
I believe we will work in the New Heaven and New Earth—because we are made in the image of a working God. (No one will need a lawyer then, so I’m planning to switch careers—I’d like to be an architect 😊.) But let’s be clear: God is not working to make more money or collect more possessions. We work for God’s glory! Paul gave Spirit-directed instructions about how to work in a way that pleases God:
“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:22-24
God doesn’t want us to quit working—He wants us to capitalize on our work and make it part of our eternal investment portfolio:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
When we work for God’s glory—not for self-gain—we are building treasures that will never be lost.
Reflection Thought
Work is not your enemy. Work is your opportunity to glorify God and build eternal treasure. The question is: Are you working for the right Master?
Prayer
Father God, I confess that sometimes I have chased after money, thinking it would bring me security or satisfaction. Please forgive me. Help me to work for Your glory and not for selfish gain. Show me how to balance diligence with rest. Teach me how to honor You with my time, my talents, and my efforts. I want to lay up treasures in Heaven, not just on earth. I want my life and work to matter for eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
