Worker or Waster?

Choose the word that best describes you…Worker or Waster. Please be honest, and evaluate your present description. Don’t say to yourself, “This is what I want to be,“ and then never fulfill that desire, but, rather, constantly purpose to pursue that which you desire to be for God, even if you already are. Of course, in dealing with these two words that I have given, being a worker for the Lord is what you should desire to be until the day you draw your last breath this side of glory!

This is one of the verses that stood out to me in my morning Bible reading with my wife…
"He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” Proverbs 18:9

May I compel you for a moment to think of the joys behind hard labor? May I challenge you to be a “go-getter,” and stop being slothful with the Lord’s work? We need more laborers for Christ’s sake. We don’t need any more side-lined, sluggardly or slothful Christians! There is work to do, and much of the work assignments don’t need to be appointed to you by another. They have already been given in God’s Word!

God created Adam to be a workman. The work of Adam’s hands brought fulfillment to Adam, and pleasure to God. God allowed Adam to enjoy the benefits of looking back on the completed job and become satisfied. God could have named the animals and kept the garden, but He gave that job to Adam. God wanted Adam to know and enjoy the same satisfaction in labor that He enjoyed. 

We live in a day where a portion of society is pushing themselves away from work, and, therefore, they are learning to feast off of the labor of working people. The one who pushes a care-free, work-free life is a brother to him that is a great waster. The words lazy, sluggard, slothful, etc. should never be adjectives that describe a born again believer. The descriptions of Christians should be as follows: laborers, workers, fervent, “go-getters,” “movers and shakers,” faithful, loyal, trustworthy, servant-hearted and strong (in the Lord, of course). 

Consider these words from the Bible, and let them settle deeply into the corridors of your heart…

We must remain pure so the work will be right!
“The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.” Proverbs 21:8 

We will gain sweeter sleep at the end of hard work!
"The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” Ecclesiastes 5:12

We have a command to be fervent and not slothful in our work from the Apostle Paul, and he was certainly a great example of fervency in serving the Lord!
"Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” Romans 12:11

We understand the need to bear each others burdens, but we should not allow others in our lives to do the work for us. We must prove our own work!
"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” Galatians 6:4

We will be blessed for being doers of what we hear!
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25

Our focus should be working for the Lord, not the reward, but it’s wonderful to note that God doesn’t overlook those who are fervent in service to Him! He blesses those that work hard with reward!
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12

We have a job to do for our Lord…let’s get busy being Workers and not Wasters, friends! 

Blessed Beyond Measure,
Pastor Justyn Smith
CrossroadsPeoria.com