Diligent hands are directed by a diligent heart, and this God blesses diligent people for their generosity.
Proverbs joys of a disciplined and diligent life. "The fruit of the Spirit is … self-control" (Gal. 5:22–23).
nkjv). The poor are made in the image of God, so the way we treat the poor is the way we treat God. Churches that show deference to the rich and ignore the poor have forgotten the royal law, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (James 2:1–8).
The reward for faithful hard work is—more work! "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things" (Matt. 25:21 nkjv; see Luke 19:16–19). "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men" (Prov. 22:29 nkjv).
How do we help the poor? To begin with, we ought not to look down on the poor because of their troubles, thinking we are better than they. "He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he" (Prov. 14:21 niv). God has a special concern for the poor and needy, and in exploiting them we will find ourselves fighting the Lord. "Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil [plunder] the soul of those that spoiled them" (22:22–23; see Deut. 15:7; 24:12). Christian citizens ought to see to it that laws are written fairly and enforced justly. "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Prov. 29:7 niv). "A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops" (28:3 niv). "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy" (31:9 niv). "The king who judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever" (29:14). These are solemn statements indeed!
One of the blessings of diligent labor is the joy of developing the kind of ability and character that others can trust, thereby fitting ourselves for the next responsibility God has prepared for us. Joseph was faithful in suffering and service, and this prepared him to rule Egypt. David faithfully cared for a few sheep, and God gave him an entire nation to shepherd (Ps. 78:70–72). Joshua was faithful as Moses' helper and became Moses' successor. "Wisdom is the principal thing.… Exalt her, and she will promote you" (Prov. 4:7–8 nkjv). "The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools" (3:35).
There's no substitute for hard work. "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" (10:4 niv). "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty" (14:23 niv). A new college graduate was asked if he was looking for work. He thought for a minute and then replied, "No, but I would like to have a job." That seems to be the attitude of too many people today. Poet Robert Frost said, "The world is full of willing people: some willing to work and the rest willing to let them."
When we assist the poor, we are investing with the Lord, and He will see to it that we get our dividends at the right time.2 "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will pay back what he has given" (19:17; see 11:24; 22:9). Before the church helps, however, the family has an obligation to assist their own needy (1 Tim. 5:4, 8). This leaves the church free to help those who have no one to share their burdens. If we shut our ears to the cries of the poor, God will shut His ears to our prayers (Prov. 21:13).
Diligent people plan their work and work their plan. "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty" (21:5 nkjv). "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established" (16:3 nkjv; see 24:27). Thomas Edison said, "I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work." More than one scientific breakthrough seemed to be discovered by accident, but there was still a great deal of hard work put into the project before the breakthrough came. Benjamin Franklin wrote in his Poor Richard's Almanack, "Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industry."
Having pastored three churches, I know some of the problems congregations can have with "con artists" who pose as "believers passing through town who need help." In over forty years of ministry, I recall very few instances when strangers we helped wrote and thanked us when they got home or even repaid the gift. Certainly pastors and deacons must exercise caution and wisdom lest they do more harm than good, but we must also remember that we're helping truly needy people for Jesus' sake (Matt. 25:34–40). Bernard of Clairvaux, composer of "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee," gave wise counsel when he said, "Justice seeks out the merits of the case, but pity only regards the need." If our Lord dealt with us today only on the basis of justice, where would we be?
God blesses the labors of people who are honest. "Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase" (13:11 nkjv). God expects "a just weight and a just balance" (16:11; see 20:10, 23). He also expects us to be honest in our words as we deal with people in our work. "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight" (12:22 nkjv).
3. The Diligent Diligent hands are directed by a diligent heart, and this means the discipline of the inner person. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23 nkjv). When we cultivate the inner person through prayer, meditation on the Word, and submission to the Lord, then we can experience the
God blesses diligent people for their generosity. "There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself" (11:24–25 nkjv). "He who has a generous eye will be
Proverbs in wealth usually means an increase in decision-making, risk-taking, and possibly physical danger. "A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat" (13:8 niv). Kenneth Taylor aptly paraphrased this verse, "Being kidnapped and held for ransom never worries the poor man!" (TLB). Thieves will break into a mansion but not a hovel.
blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor" (22:9 nkjv). Mark the difference between the diligent worker and the slothful person: "The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare" (21:25–26 nkjv).
Diligent people are careful not to incur debts they can't handle. "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (22:7 nkjv). While a certain amount of honest debt is expected in today's world, and everybody wants to achieve a good credit rating, we must be careful not to mistake presumption for faith. As the familiar adage puts it, "When your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall."
One of the subtle dangers of wealth is a false sense of security. "He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage" (11:28). After all, riches won't save the sinner on the day of judgment (11:4); they can't buy peace (15:16–17) or a good name (22:1). Riches have a tendency to fly away when we least expect it (23:4–5; 27:23–24).
If God blesses our diligent work with success, we must be careful not to become proud. "The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall" (18:11 niv). This reminds us of the rich farmer in our Lord's parable (Luke 12:13–21). If successful people aren't careful, they'll start mistreating people (Prov. 14:21; 18:23) and becoming a law to themselves (28:11). "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life" (22:4). Rich people have many friends (14:20; 19:4, 6), but will those friends remain faithful if the rich become poor (19:7)? Wealth is a wonderful servant for humble people but a terrible master for the proud.
It's a dangerous thing for people to become greedy for more and more money and to overextend themselves to acquire it. Each of us must discover at what financial level God wants us to live and be content with it. "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (30:7–9 niv).
I was a "depression baby" and the text my sister and two brothers and I learned to live by was "Use it up, wear it out; make it do, or do without." Our parents taught us the difference between luxuries and necessities, and they didn't try to impress the neighbors by purchasing things they didn't need with money they couldn't afford to spend. But that philosophy of life seems to have almost disappeared. Today if you talk about hard work, wise stewardship, the dangers of debt, and the importance of accountability before God, somebody is bound to smile (or laugh out loud) and tell you that times have changed.
The wrong attitude toward money can wreck friendships and even destroy a home. "He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live" (15:27 nkjv). The man or woman who thinks only of getting rich will put money ahead of people and principles, and soon they start to neglect the family in their frantic pursuit of wealth. Expensive gifts to the children become substitutes for the gift of themselves; before long, values become twisted and the family falls apart. How many families have been destroyed because of the distribution of an estate! As a lawyer friend of mine used to say, "Where there's a will, there's relatives."
Our heavenly Father knows that His children have needs that must be met (Matt. 6:32); in our modern society, this means we must have money to procure them. But our most important task isn't to earn money; our most important task is to be the kind of people God can trust with money, people who are faithful in the way we use what God gives us. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33 nkjv).
In connection with that problem, wealthy people have to worry about what their children will do with their wealth. "For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations" (27:24 nkjv). Solomon discussed this problem in Ecclesiastes 2:18–26 and came to the conclusion that the best thing rich people can do is enjoy their wealth while they're able and not worry about their heirs. Perhaps their will should read, "Being of sound mind and body, I spent it all!"4
"The real measure of our wealth," said John Henry Jowett, "is how much we'd be worth if we lost all our money." Character is more important than position, and wisdom than possessions. God doesn't glorify poverty, but neither does He magnify affluence. "There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches" (Prov. 13:7 nkjv).
"Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief." God has a word for all of them. Are they willing to receive it?
Notes 1 The origin of the word "scam" is obscure. It comes from carnival jargon and may be a variation of the word "scheme." Before the law stepped in to control such things, some carnival workers were notorious at fleecing the unsuspecting public with get-rich-quick offers. Alas, what was once confined to carnivals is now found on Wall Street.
We must not think that the way of the wealthy is always easy,3 because there are also perils that accompany wealth and success in life. Wealthy people face problems that people of ordinary means don't face, for an increase