“The rich man’s wealth is his fortress; The ruin of the poor is their poverty. 16The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life, The income of the wicked, punishment.”

Proverbs 10:15-16 

Working is part of the reality of this life. When man fell from God’s presence, so did his provision! The result of the rejection of God’s provision was that man would now have to make his own way. The book of Genesis tells us,

“By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” 

Genesis 3:19 AMP

From that day until today, man is responsible for his own keep. Because we were created to enjoy the things God had provided, there is in each of us a desire to be taken care of by someone else. It is human nature to be kept. We see this playing out in the culture today. An attitude of “I deserve to be taken care of” is pervasive throughout the world. The danger is that sin is undermining the fact that we must work. Now, the promise of God is that if we do our part, He will do His! Look at just one of the promises of God.

“Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe and fulfill the statutes and ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.”

1 Chronicles 22:13 AMP

The promise is conditional now. “If you are careful to observe and fulfil the statues and ordinances…” It is an active engagement as the verse clarifies “and fulfil.” Another great promise of God is,

“The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your storehouses and in all that you undertake, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” 

Deuteronomy 28:8 AMP

The Apostle Paul told the church,

“Now we command you, believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His authority, that you withdraw and keep away from every brother or sister who leads an undisciplined life and does not live in accordance with the tradition and teaching that you have received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined or inappropriate manner when we were with you [we were never idle or lazy, nor did we avoid our duties], 8nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we worked night and day [to pay our own way] so that we would not be a financial burden on any of you [for our support]; 9not because we do not have a right to such support, but [we provided our own financial support] to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10For even while we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.11Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business]. 12Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work quietly and earn their own food and other necessities [supporting themselves instead of depending on the hospitality of others]. 13And as for [the rest of] you,  believers, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].”

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 AMP

WOW! That seems pretty rough! The Apostle isn’t saying that we should not support those for whatever reason cannot take care of themselves. He is however saying that those who are able should stop taking valuable resources from those who are not. I love verse 13, “do not grow tied or lose heart…” Working isn’t fun. It takes away from all kinds of more important things in this life. It is however the reality of sin. Let me encourage you today to “press on” and see the blessings of the Lord filling your house with goodness, grace, and love! Have a blessed day Pastor Ken