The Sin Series II: YOU SHALL WORK (WITH YOUR HANDS) AND NOT BE LAZY

Welcome back. We continue in the Sin Series with Law II- You shall be diligent.

Nowhere in the whole bible is indolence endorsed. If you will be wealthy -bible standard, you must be ready to work…with your hands.

It is unfortunate that today in the Nigerian society the value of work has slowly been eroded and replaced instead with the craze for material possessions. Most Nigerians now believe the end justifies the means and we look away even if the SUV or Mansion was purchased with stolen or looted wealth.

How do I know? The society no longer frowns at corruption and wealth/success without a legal trace or proof of hard work. We celebrate ‘success’ of material possessions regardless of how it was acquired. But God isn’t like that. In fact, God isn’t moved by your material wealth or properties. The bible encourages us to work and not be lazy as the following passages show: Prov 6:6, 20:4, 2Thess 3:10.

When you work with your hands, you have dignity. With that dignity comes the confidence and respect that makes one a man and ensures that you will be successful in that which you continually lay your hands on to do.

 There is a Chinese proverb that says “No one who can rise before dawn 360 days a year fails to make his family rich.” The proverb refers to farmers but it’s even so true to other artisans and workers today. Malcolm Gladwell in his book ‘Outliers: why some people succeed and some don’t’, talks about the 10,000 hours rule. He explained how the Beatles put in so many hours when they played in Hamburg, Germany for many years, perfecting their skills, before they later became a world-wide success.

While I do not necessarily agree that putting in 10,000 hours will make you become a world renowned success, I agree that pouring yourself into your trade will ensure that you become successful at it enough to be wealthy from it.

To avoid work is to avoid wealth, and true lasting riches...therein lies the sin.

Do not look down on anyone who works diligently even if a laborer. No matter how demeaning his work might look to you, a man that works hard at his labor is to be celebrated and encouraged, not disdained. And this the bible advocates.

[Don't forget that you can contact me for the ecopy of any book I mention including any of Gladwell's Tipping point, Blink, Outliers, What the dog saw, and David and Goliath.]