Get Busy

Proverbs 13:4  The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
Often times when we think of work we think of a four letter dirty word. We look at it as a curse and not a blessing.  However in Genesis we see that even God Worked. It tells us that in six days God created the heavens and the earth, all of the birds of the air, fish of the sea, beast of the field, and human beings. After he made his creation he looked upon it and saw that it was good.
God has worked and is still working.  Furthermore God tells places man in the garden and instructs him to work.

Genesis 2:15  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 

This was before Adam had sinned, the Lord had an assignment for Adam. There was something that he was supposed to be doing in order for him to be able to “eat of every tree of the garden.” God had told Adam to get busy.  This principle of working to provide for our needs is set in place by Almighty God.  Then we come to read about Adam’s sin and the curse that came upon him.
Genesis 3:17-19 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Ever since this event people have viewed work as a necessary evil.  In our society today we have a wide variety of views on this four letter word called work. On one hand we have the workaholics who will work 60, 70 even 80 hours a week just to get ahead in life. These are the kind that get to work early, stay late and even bring work home with them.  Then there are those who live just for the paycheck. They work only so that they can get money to do what they really want to do. These are often half-hearted workers.  Thirdly there are those who do not even bother to work because they can rely on the government for financial support. Why work when I can get a check.  A fourth view of work would have the mindset, I can’t wait to get to work today! As I am working and contributing to society I know that the Lord is pleased so I will give it 100%.  The fourth view is a biblical view that we must strive for.

Colossians 3:22  Bondservants, 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.  We are commanded to obey, not only when the boss is looking, and not unto men but unto the Lord.  There are several things that keep us from having this kind of attitude toward work.

Laziness

In Proverbs 6:6 it say "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.  7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.  9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?  10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man."

As long as a person continues in laziness, poverty will come.  Also in the book of proverbs

Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;  he will seek at harvest and have nothing.  In other words the sluggard is only concerned about now and does not plan ahead.

The sluggard will crave and be unfulfilled because they are too lazy to get up and do for themselves. If you are a person dealing with laziness the bible would say rise oh sluggard “Get busy”

Greed
Some people work because they are motivated by greed. They are never satisfied. They go to work simply so that they can buy more stuff and even more stuff. They are never contempt with the things that they have.  They feel the way to be successful in this life is to have more stuff. So instead of being motivated to make a contribution to society the motivation is driven by the love of money or possessions.

Luke 12:15  And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness (greed), for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

We also see this same type of heart in a person that is just wanting to strike it rich. He/she will spend hundreds on Powerball or lottery tickets hoping to strike it rich so that they don’t have to work anymore.  Their desire is not to work for their provision, but to attain more things with the least amount of effort. This is so contrary to what God had set up.

Your daily needs will be provided as you “Get Busy.” However we must defend against a heart of greed.  Having a heart of greed will prevent you from working with the right motives.

Half-Hearted Working
There are many who work, but only putting in the hours. They don’t work as unto the Lord, or even as unto their boss. They are simply there. Sort of like the road workers: You drive down the road past a construction site, and there will be one guy in a pit shoveling stone, and five guys at the side, watching, leaning on their shovels.

Proverbs 18:9  One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

Once again, another ungodly attitude towards work.  How many of people know someone like this. They only work when someone over them comes to check on them.  At one time in our office there were so many people misusing the internet when they were supposed to be working that they had to cut it out completely. Too many people working half heartedly

It was time to “Get busy”  Let’s search our hearts to make sure that these attitudes don’t characterize us.  Work does not need to be a curse to us. Rather, when we work with a godly attitude, God can use that work to be the channel of his blessing to us.

We have two choices, one decision to make today. Will we change our attitude about how we view work?  Will we choose God’s way and get busy, or will we make excuses on why we don’t want to work?