Walter on Getting a Job and Going to Work
On Getting a Job and Going to
Work...
November
28, 2004
Dear Paul,
Thanks for your last letter and the
good news of what God is doing at
I
don't feel very qualified to address the topics you have sent me, seeing that I
am not a very educated man, but I will try and do my best. Like the wise man
said, "Even a fool when he keeps silent, appears wise," and I am afraid that by
writing you my thoughts I will blow my cover! Oh well, you have asked and there
are few things I like to think about more than how to live like a Christian.
Now this
subject of work or having a job is a very good one to consider. First off,
everybody has to do it, from the badger to the prime minister and that is no
mistake. It seems to me that part of the reason for our brains and our brawn is
to be busy at something. Adam wasn't getting a suntan in
Sure, sin
made that work a lot tougher and that too was no mistake. I could just be
whistling
Now, as for
work itself - it's not that bad! At least, Walter doesn't think so, but I have
known many who do not share my convictions! The Bible talks a lot about the
sluggard and I don't know if the two words go together, but I have seen how
fast a slug moves... and what they are good for!
I have known
men who can spend heaps of energy figuring out how not to work that,
had they just put the same into a shovel for an hour, they could have dug 4
miles of ditch. Some men move so slow you'd think their wife fed them led pancakes for breakfast and poured concrete in their
shoes! The sluggard gets himself to the table, but never gets his hand from the
bowl to his mouth - that's too much work! (Pr 19:24; 26:15). He squeaks like a
rusty hinge, but for all his noise he only goes back and forth, never forward
(Pr 26:14).
Solomon said,
the "idle suffer hunger" (Pr 19:15 ) and "hunger
drives a man to work" (Pr 16:26 ), but the sluggard would rather sleep with a
growling stomach than work for a full one. If Saul had ten excuses for not
destroying the Amalekites, the sluggard has 100 for
not going to work. The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a
lion in the streets!" (Pr 26:13). And I know that lion's Latin classification: occupationale avoidest
O, he is
always full of grand ideas and elaborate schemes of how he is going to make
some easy money, but in the end he will be shown for what he is. The man
committed to sleep over work will wake up poor and lonely one day. That's what
wise Solomon said:
Proverbs
24:30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold,
it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its
stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked
and received instruction. 33 A little sleep, a little
slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and
poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
What I've
never been able to figure though, is how they can stand looking at themselves
when they shave in the morning? Always craving more and in love with pleasure,
they get neither (Pr 21:25 -26)! These men are the most foolish of all, I
think, for they try to live contrary to nature - to the way God made them. The
ant must have a small brain seeing how small in stature he is, but at least he
does what he was made to do - "Go to the ant, O sluggard!" (Pr 6:6-11)! A man
who does not work is worth nothing and should be avoided like an angry skunk. I
side with the able Apostle who told those Christians in Thessalonica:
2
Thessalonians 3: 6 Now we command you, brothers, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is
walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from
us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us,
because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor
did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a
burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right,
but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For
even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not
willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among
you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now
such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work
quietly and to earn their own living.
On the other
hand, there are some men who just work too much! Even the ant stops and rests
once in a while from his steady trek back and forth. I am sure that some men
overwork partly because of nature - rabbits like to hop, cheetahs like to
sprint and some men aren't happy unless they are busy at something! But my
guess is that the brunt of over-workers are merely
coveters in disguise. Once a dog tastes blood, there's no way to keep him away
from your sheep. Some men turn into pit bulls once they taste a little money.
You all don't need me to tell you what that will get you. The Preacher in
Ecclesiastes did just that when he wrote:
Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all my toil in which I toil
under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19
and who knows
whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I
toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair
over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21
because
sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must
leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is
vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and
striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work
is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
Living for
money and things is like lassoing a cloud - you may think you have it, but that
rope will fall on your head sooner or later! Solomon called wealth a bird, if I
am not mistaken... and I've never seen a winged thing stay in one place very
long! He said,
23:4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be
discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
No, I say the
best way to live is to get up regular every morning and do the tasks God has
given you. I liken my prayers after Agur, son of Jakeh :
Proverbs 30:7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not
to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me
neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, "Who is the Lord ?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name
of my God.
Now there was
a fine bit of wisdom! Some men get rich too fast and find they spend it just as
fast. I had a boyhood friend who spent over 1 million dollars in two years with
nothing to show for it but a nice car. Mind you, he soon had to sell the car as
he had no money to pay for the insurance! I am not opposed to being taken care
of and even having a few loonies in the bank, but I'd rather mine came slow and
steady than fast and furious. Haste makes waste as they say, "
but whoever gathers little by little will increase wealth" (Pr 13:11b).
Now, as I said, wealth is all fine and good and makes a man's days seem
brighter, but riches bring with them their own snare.
Many a rich
man in hell is regretting the comfort he felt on earth!
18:11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and
like a high wall in his imagination.
11:28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the
righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
And all that
from one of the richest men ever to live! I have seen many a rich man think he
was something when he was nothing. The Bible never says you can't be rich and
be a good Christian, but it sure warns the rich to watch out!
1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age,
charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of
riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good , to be rich in good works, to
be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for
themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of
that which is truly life.
So,
over-working just to get rich doesn't make much sense to this pilgrim. I think
there is a bit more to life than that!
At the same
time, I am all for hard and steady work - whether that's driving fence posts
into the ground or driving ideas out of the brain. As for me, I'd take the
fence posts any day. I recall old Martin Luther saying in a book somewhere:
"Sure,
it would be hard for me to sit 'in the saddle.' But then again I would like to
see the horseman who could sit still for a whole day and gaze at a book without
worrying or dreaming or thinking about anything else. Ask ... a preacher ...
how much work it is to speak and preach ... The pen is very light, that is true
... But in this work the best part of the human body (the head), the noblest
member (the tongue), and the highest work (speech) bear the brunt of the load
and work the hardest, while in other kinds of work either the hand, the foot,
the back or other members do the work alone so such a person can sing happily
or make jokes freely which a sermon writer cannot do. Three fingers do it all
... but the whole body and soul have to work at it."
Now, that was
for free! But the just Lord is faithful to reward hard work - that is my point.
It is true "in all labour there is profit" (Pr 14:23 ),
or, as he said in another place "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of
the diligent makes rich." (Pr 10:4)
So a man
needs to learn to do his work. A clean barn means no cows (Pr 14:4). That might
make a Mrs. Martha Stewart happy, but it won't do anything to feed you in the
winter! No - hard work usually means a bit of a mess. If I look to the services
of one of the men in town, one of the first things I do is look at his desk -
too messy and he is probably incompetent.... too clean and he probably doesn't do
anything at all! Every trade has its tools and most of them involve sweat of
one kind or another.
A good man
learns to work when it is time to work.
10:5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent
son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
20:4 The sluggard does not plough in the
autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
The man who
works will know something of His Maker's pleasure and part of that smile is
almost always bread on the table and beer in the mug (or, Adam's Ale if you
prefer).
That man will
"know his flocks and herds" (Pr 27:23-27) and always have enough for his family
and his church. He may not live in gold and thousands of square feet - but
he'll live with a content heart and clean conscience. That's something all the
gold in the Royal Mint can't buy!
If a man paid
more attention to what he learned in grade school, he might do some good in
this world. I recall one little rhyme:
Work
while you work,
Play
while you play,
One thing
each time that is the way!
All that
you do
Do with
your might
Things
done by halves are not done right!
When it comes
right down to it, I think the heart of the matter is described in the faithful
Apostle's letter to the Colossians. Listen to that again:
Colossians 3:22 Slaves, obey in everything those who
are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with
sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not
for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the
inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong
he has done, and there is no partiality.
If a man can
get in his head that his boss is Jesus - he'll figure out just the right way to
work! After all, that boss sees everything and knows every thought! That's the
whip, if you like. But most good horses I've had work harder for the apple than
the whip. And we aren't so very different. That must be why Paul tells those
Colossians that they really are working for Jesus. Most of them, as I
understand it, were bottom of the barrel slaves! Yet, here Paul is telling them
they are servants of the Creator of the Universe! Now, that is something! He
tells these slaves that while working for some unfair owner they are actually
working for Him!
Well, if a
slave can work for Jesus, I am sure there is room for Walter (and anyone else
who cares to humble himself) at the courts of heaven. Give me a man who
understands his true Employer and I will work with him or for him
any day! It's one of those things that really causes
me to praise the Lord, that whether behind the desk or behind the plow a man can worship. I won't say I've got that all
figured out, but the more I understand it, the more my life makes sense.
Isn't that
the conclusion of old Solomon when he writes:
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Behold, what I have seen to be good
and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which
one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for
this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and
possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his
toil--this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days
of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Well, I am
sure I have written more than I ought, but let me encourage your folks to work
hard, do it all as unto the Lord and seek His glory in everything. After that,
leave the rest to the Lord!
Your
Brother,
Walter