Hard Work Pays Off

"The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame" (Proverbs 10:3-5).

There is a huge difference between a person who works hard and one who hardly works. The person who works hard accumulates wealth while the sloth goes without. Diligence has its rewards. Today's passage contrasts diligence with laziness. The bottom line is that one pays huge dividends while the other doesn't.

Satisfaction in life is realized only through the goodness of the Lord. While our appetites are satisfied by the hand of the Lord, this does not mean our own hands can be slack. It is clearly stated in today's passage that "a slack hand causes poverty." This means the slacker will go without. We are taught here that diligence leads to wealth and laziness leads to poverty. This does not mean that all those who are impoverished are lazy; it is not that simple. Our passage simply states that laziness is a negative character trait and that laziness doesn't pay.

The son who is industrious is contrasted with the son who sleeps the day away. The hard working son is thinking ahead to the winter when he is going to need food. He is up early each morning gathering his crops in the summer time, way before he needs them. The lazy son who slept through the harvest is left with nothing to eat in the winter. This, we are told, is a shameful thing.

When will we learn that hard work is better than laziness, wealth is better than poverty, wisdom is better than shame, and righteousness is better than wickedness? Those who love the Lord and are wisely walking with Him daily are provided for by His generous and gracious hand. Those who live their lives by way of wicked cravings end up shamefully impoverished.

It is clearly stated in today's passage that hard work pays off. So the question needs to be asked, "Are you working hard or hardly working?" One pays huge dividends from the hand of the Lord while the other offers nothing from the slack hand of the "cravings of the wicked."