Work for Your Own Necessities
The daily work that you do to earn money is a very important thing. Work is a gift from God to you. It is God’s instrument for your greatness in life. The work that you do for a living must therefore be deliberately and strategically selected. This article discusses how you should utilize the gift of work in other to become great in life.
Seeing Work from God’s Perspective
Work is an activity and a result. It is a process of carrying out a task. It is also the outcome of a task completed. The word ‘work’ was first mentioned in the Bible in relation to God. Genesis 2:2 says: And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Work is the process by which God manifests the good intentions of His heart for the created world. Work is a beautiful thing. This is seeing work from God’s perspective. Work is not a necessary evil we must do to satisfy those in authority over us or just to earn a living for ourselves.
Be a Lover of Work
It is a beautiful thing to work. This is the testimony of ‘Wisdom’ in Proverbs 8:22-29 Wisdom says: “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth… When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, …. when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men”. Like ‘Wisdom’ learn to rejoice over the work that you do. You are partnering with God to make the world a better place.
Work is not Toil and Sweat
God put Adam and Eve in a garden when He created them. Their work was to maintain and cultivate the garden. They were driven out of the garden when they sinned against God. Consequently, they became involved in a life of toil and sweat. Work is what you do with God as your partner. It becomes toil and sweat outside of God’s partnership. Work is done with the capital (resources and support) provided by God. Toil and sweat is working without God-given direction and capital. Always ensure that you are working within the capital support system of God’s partnership, direction, wisdom, power, resources, and connections.
How to Work?
This is very simple – the work that you should do is the one God asks you to do. Those who don’t abide by this simple rule end up with either poverty or riches of vanity upon vanity. In John 9:4 Jesus said: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day”. Does God speak to you about your work? Do you pray to God over every task? While you may not hear God for yourself now as Jesus did, you should start out by working for others or yourself based on the opportunities available to you. Idleness is not allowed! Then keep praying to God to show you the work He created you to do. When God does this, then you have entered Stage 6: Creative Wisdom for Enterprise. This is how to be deliberate and strategic about your work.
Work and Rest
God worked and rested. You also must work to ensure you can provide for your financial needs. You rest to enjoy the work of your hands. Learn to rest daily so you can recharge. Also learn to take annual vacations.
Proverbs 10:4
Laziness leads to poverty; hard work makes you rich.
The Penalty for Not Working
Working to provide for the necessities of food, clothing and shelter is your responsibility. This is the second stage in God’s process for prospering widows and fatherless children. We must learn to work hard and not be lazy. We must not have an attitude of depending on others. The penalty for not working is Proverbs 10:4.
