Not Working Hard Hurts a Lot of People

Reference: Proverbs 12:24 Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave

OBSERVATION: It is easy to fall into the "I just want to get by" mentality when it comes to work. Chuck Colson wrote; "Why American Doesn't Work. How the Decline of the Work Ethic is Hurting Your Family and Future" and, in too many cases, he is right--people are not working up to their potential in America today. We spend hours on the Internet in personal surfing or emailing. We waste time chatting and doing personal business. We cut corners to avoid the hard work we need to do.

The bottom line, as Solomon knew, is that we are hurting no one more than ourselves. The leader embraces hard work. They know it is the only way to success. The lazy person who avoids it is putting themselves on a track to being another's wage slave.

The lure of entertainment, and there is so much of it available to us, tempts us to take the easy way out. Why read a book when there is 500 channels and a billion web sites available? We should read because leaders are readers and the hard work of reading makes us better people.

Application/Confession: For the most part I work hard. It is now 6:52 in the morning and I have already been reading and writing for the last half hour. On the other hand, I have felt convicted by the amount of time I spend at my desk doing other things rather than working. I need to change that. I need to update my Ipod at home. I need to make sure that I give God a full days work.

I am also convicted that I need to spend more time reading and less time on TV. Reading builds me up, helps me to grow and teaches me things. TV merely entertains.

PRAYER: Forgive me for wasting even a moment of the precious life You have given me. Convict me when I am being lazy. You have called me to leadership, help me to work hard at this calling--all the time.