Walking with the Wise #60: Working for a Living

“A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
the poverty of the poor is their ruin.”

—Proverbs 10:15

I have yet to meet a man who would rather be poor than rich. Money does bring some measure of comfort, safety and security. Those who are wealthy do not have to worry about many of the things that the poor do.

A city in the ancient world was strong or weak depending upon a variety of factors, one of which involved the walls of the city. If a city had strong walls, then there was protection from invaders, thus making the city secure and strong (one need only read the book of Nehemiah to find out the importance of city walls). Wealth enables some measure of earthly security, while poverty leads to ruin and should not be embraced out of some misguided or romantic notion that poverty is better or nobler.

At first glance, it appears that wealth always equals security, but that’s not accurate. While wealth does bring a certain level of security, we are warned in Proverbs not to place our trust or hope in wealth, but in the “name of the LORD” (cf. 18:10-11).

God created us to work—which is our way to have and make wealth (cf. Deuteronomy 8:18), and we are to do our work as unto the Lord, not to men (Colossians 3:23). God desires that we be industrious, earning our own living, which in turn enables us to help others (2 Thessalonians 3:12). But, we must make sure that we do not rely on our own wealth for our security and significance.

Are we being industrious? Are we doing our work as unto the Lord and not to men? It is when we are about the task that God has given us and purposed us to do that we experience His delight and blessing. Or as John Piper has so eloquently said, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” Satisfaction comes from delighting in who He is and who He has made us to be. When we do that, God receives glory and we increase in joy.

May God enable us to be industrious, working for the glory of His name and not our own. And may the wealth He blesses us with be used to further His kingdom and increase our joy for the glory and honor of His great and holy name. Amen.