Do you know that feeling where you want to do nothing? The one where you roll over and hit the snooze button right when the alarm goes off because the last thing you want to do is go to work? The one where you want to sit on the couch watching Netflix all day?
Since the beginning of quarantine in 2020, people are have become used to hitting the snooze button, staying home, and doing nothing. Many jobs are available, but no one wants to go back to work and fill them. Some may feel tempted to live on government handouts, just so they can sit around all day.
Well, I have some news for you. Get up. You heard me. Just get up. If you can work, work.
Proverbs 6:6-11 tells us the difference between the ant and the sluggard. The ants are taken care of because they provide for themselves. On the other hand, the sluggard desires many things in life but gets nothing because they don’t do anything. This concept shows up in many others verses, and it would be wise to learn from it.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that those who do not work should not eat. Many people think it's unfair to withhold giving someone food because they won't work, but it is a practical concept. An example of this is the founding of Jamestown. The colony was not doing too well, and the people were starting to give up. In 1608, Captain John Smith was elected to lead the colonist, and one of his rules was: “He that will not work shall not eat”. The colony began to prosper under John Smith because he was able to get the people to work.
Some might try to argue that we are no longer in Colonial Times. We have a fully functioning government that is willing to pay for our needs when we need them. But there is a difference between needing it and abusing it. Welfare is for those who cannot help themselves. It should only be used as a last resort, but many have used it as an excuse not to work. It is not free money like many people think; it comes from the money of many Americans who worked hard and earned it. Those who can work should be the ones providing for the needy, as stated in Ephesians 4:28
Some might have a get-rich-quick scheme planned so they don’t have to work. The Bible warns us that money gained fast will disappear in Proverbs 23:4-5, but Proverbs 13:11 tells us that only by working will we increase. Nevertheless, we need to remember that riches should not be the main reason we work because it can lead to our destruction as stated in 1 Timothy 6:9-10.
Some might say that they go to work, but they do only the bare minimum. That kind of attitude is not helpful to anyone. Not only is that wasting everyone’s time, but it also does not profit as one might think it would. We need to remember that our faith is first before the things of this earth, and we are told to work hard. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us to work our best for the Lord, and we will be rewarded. It is better to work hard and have eternal wealth than to do only the bare minimum and have earthly “riches”.
The time to work is now while you still can do so. These days, one could practically walk into a store and be hired on the spot because the demand for workers is so high. Stop hitting the snooze button and take advantage of the situation. It’s time to get up and work!
