“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6).
This weekend we celebrate Labor Day, which some see as the official end of summer, but which is really all about a day to honor and celebrate the working man or woman. Some people view work as a curse and something to be avoided, but there is great value in work. In fact, when God created Adam, He gave him a job to do — dressing and keeping the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). This, of course, was before the fall and the curse placed upon the ground.
We are told in Proverbs 6 that there is something to be learned from observing the ant. This little creature God made is characterized by industry and foresight. In gathering her food in the summer, she is aware that winter is coming, and then food will be much harder to find. So the ant works diligently now to prepare for what she knows she will need later.
We are also introduced to another character in Proverbs — a human one — called the “sluggard.” This is the picture of a person who is too lazy to work and makes every excuse in the book to avoid it. For example:
“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4). What’s his excuse? The weather! The stiff, cold breeze is more than he cares to deal with, so he stays inside. However, there are consequences to his actions: doing without!
“The slothful man sayeth, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets” (Proverbs 22:13). What’s the excuse this time? “There might be a lion outside!” The only thing about the sluggard that works is his imagination, justifying staying indoors and, of course, away from work.
God Himself has a certain expectation that people will work.
“Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work” (Exodus 20:9).
“Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening” (Psalm 104:23).
The apostle Paul commanded the believers in Thessalonica to “do your own business, and to work with your own hands…” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Apparently, some of them didn’t heed the message, because in his second letter to them he wrote, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).
What a poor testimony it is for a Christian, especially, to be slack in his or her work! Our work, like everything else, is a reflection of who we are and Who we represent. This is why Paul said to those who work and serve others, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Many of you who work will get the day off on Labor Day. Enjoy it — you’ve earned it! Let’s all remember the value of work and the satisfaction that comes from doing a good job. And let’s be careful to avoid the extremes of being lazy on the one hand and being a “workaholic” on the other. Neither one is good, but the Bible specifically warns about the sin of laziness and the consequences of not being diligent in our work. Above all, may our work be done for the Lord!