Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”
Scriptural Working Principles
Work UNTO THE LORD
Working as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) means doing what you do for another as if they were Jesus. Someone who works as unto the Lord serves others like they were Christ (Colossians 3:24; Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 2:18), like the work was for Christ, and with view to the reward of Christ (Colossians 3:24-25; Ephesians 6:8).
Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men”
Working in the name of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17) means doing what you do as a representative of Jesus. Someone who works in the name of Jesus labors as Jesus would in whatever capacity they are functioning. Christians represent Christ on earth as his “savor” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16), “epistles” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3), “vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7), “ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20), and “workers” (2 Corinthians 6:1).
Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Working unto the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31; Matthew 5:16) means doing what you do so that God gets the most glory from it. Someone who works unto the glory of God does the job their very best, desiring to bring the most honor and glory to God for their service.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
Work HEARTILY
Working with all of your heart (Colossians 3:23) means that you are giving your best effort in what you do. Serving God heartily means that one wholly serves the Lord (the “whole heart” e.g., Psalm 119:2, 10, 34, 58, 69, 145), and that they solely serve the Lord (David: 1 Kings 14:8; Josiah: 2 Kings 23:25). In like manner, when we work with all of our heart, we wholly and solely exert ourselves for a given job.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
Working in singleness of heart (Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22) means that you are totally concentrating on the task at hand. A single heart is one which has no other preoccupations or distractions which keep it from rightly accomplishing something; a single-hearted persons’ mind is not somewhere else when they work. Consequently, the single-hearted worker exclusively occupies themselves with their obligation, and is not of a double heart to be ready to quit (1 Chronicles 12:33), nor are they of a double mind to be unstable in their operation (James 1:8).
Ephesians 6:5 “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ”
Working with the right heart means that when you work, your desire is present, and you actually want to be there and work, “with good will doing service” (Ephesians 6:7) (See the good example of most of the Jews in the construction of the wall: Nehemiah 4:6; see also the bad example of the Tekoite nobles: Nehemiah 3:5). This kind of person does not work sloppily, but is rather afraid to do a bad job, laboring “with fear and trembling” (Ephesians 6:5), and “fearing God” (Colossians 3:22). It is therefore unheard of to such a person to be “weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Furthermore, someone working with the right heart will be obedient and respectful to the one they are working for. A wife serving her husband will have reverence for him (Ephesians 5:33) and submit to him (Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18), and a servant working for his master will honor (1 Timothy 6:1-5) and do them service (Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22), pleasing them “well in all things” (Titus 2:9).
Work FAITHFULLY
Working accountably (Titus 2:10) means that one can rely on you to be honest. Unfaithful persons are thieves who steal (Leviticus 19:11; Exodus 20:15) and lie (Amos 8:4-6; Micah 6:10-12), defrauding their neighbor and their boss. The king’s scribe and the high priest did not have to check on the expenditures of the workmen who repaired the house of the Lord, “for they dealt faithfully” (2 Kings 12:9-15; see also Josiah 2 Kings 22:3-7). A faithful man is hard to find (Proverbs 20:6), and Nehemiah gave Hanani charge over Jerusalem, because “he was a faithful man, and feared God above many” (Nehemiah 7:2). Stewards are required to be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2), and the unjust steward in Jesus’ parable was a worker of his boss who “wasted his goods” (Luke 16:1-12).
Titus 2:10 “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
Working accountably also means that someone can rely on you to work with integrity. “The just man walketh in his integrity” (Proverbs 20:7), and, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them” (Proverbs 11:3). This type of worker does not work to be seen of men, nor do they work to please men, they accomplish their work soundly and securely, not doing the minimum or merely the visible.
Ephesians 6:6 “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (See also Colossians 3:22)
Working independently means that you labor without needing supervision, and are able to work without constant direction-giving. The ant has “no guide, overseer, or ruler,” and yet it still provides and gathers (Proverbs 6:6-8; 30:25). The conies are feeble, yet make houses in the rocks (Proverbs 30:26). The locusts fly together cooperatively without a king to rule them (Proverbs 30:27), and the spider takes initiative wherever she spins her webs (Proverbs 30:28).
Christians with a Good Work Ethic
CHRISTIANS THAT RUN
Abraham (Genesis 18:1-8): Abraham ran to meet the men he saw (Genesis 18:2), sought to please his guests (Genesis 18:3-5), hastened to the tent (Genesis 18:6), and ran unto the herd (Genesis 18:7).
Rebekah (Genesis 24) : Rebekah immediately assisted Eleazar (Genesis 24:17), hasted to give him to drink (Genesis 24:18), went beyond the expectations of Eleazar (Genesis 24:19), running to do so (Genesis 24:20).
Aaron (Numbers 16:46-48): Aaron obeyed Moses immediately, and ran to make atonement for the people of Israel (Numbers 16:47-48).
Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-21): Samuel began the work of the house of the Lord by himself (1 Samuel 3:15), listened for the voice of Eli, and ran to him when he perceived that he was calling (1 Samuel 3:3:5-8).
David (1 Samuel 17): David watched the sheep of his family even when he was the only one doing so (1 Samuel 16:1-13), ran to deliver provisions for his brothers in the battle (1 Samuel 17:17-18, 20, 22), was not afraid to face the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:26-37), and ran to engage him (1 Samuel 17:48), and to slay him (1 Samuel 17:51). David said of God:
2 Samuel 22:34 “He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.” (See also Psalm 18:33).
Elijah (1 Kings 18:41-46): continued preaching the word of God even though he was in the minority (1 Kings 18:20-22; 19:10), and ran faster than Ahab’s chariot to beat the rain (1 Kings 18:46).
Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21): Elisha plowed in the yoke with an ox (1 Kings 19:19), and ran after Elijah (1 Kings 19:20).
Abigail (1 Samuel 25:14-31): Abigail made haste to appease the wrath of David against Nabal (1 Samuel 25:18), and speedily approached David (1 Samuel 25:23) and quickly followed him to become his wife (1 Samuel 25:42). David described that Abigail’s speed kept him from shedding blood (1 Samuel 25:34).
Phillip (Acts 8:26-40): When the Spirit of God told Philip to join himself to the eunuch’s chariot, he ran to it and looked for his first opportunity to speak (Acts 8:30). (See also disciples running on the Lord’s day: Peter (Luke 24:12); John (John 20:4); the women (Matthew 28:8; John 20:2).)
CHRISTIANS THAT PROSPER
Jacob (Genesis 27-35): Jacob rolled the great stone from the well (Genesis 29:7-10), and while he was working for Laban, he did not steal from the flock (Genesis 41:38). He bare the workplace losses (Genesis 41:39), worked in the heat and in the cold often sleeplessly (Genesis 41:40), and continued serving even though he was treated unfairly (Genesis 41:41). But God was with him through it all (Genesis 41:42), and caused him to leave with great possessions.
Joseph (Genesis 37-50): Joseph was sent by Jacob to inspect the work of his brothers (Genesis 37:12-14), and became the overseer over all of Potiphar’s house, because everything he did prospered (Genesis 39:1-6). When he was cast into prison by the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife, he became the one in charge of the prison (Genesis 39:21-23). When he was released from prison, he was exalted as the second-in-command in Egypt (Genesis 41:37-45). Pharaoh asked him for recommendations of his family members who were “men of activity” (Genesis 47:6).
Genesis 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall”
Daniel (Book of Daniel): Daniel was teachable (Daniel 1:4), and walked in his integrity (Daniel 1:8-16; 6). He was a man of understanding (Daniel 1:17), who was “ten times better” than all of Nebuchadnezzar’s other officials that were in all his realm (Daniel 1:20). (See also Solomon’s manner of kingdom: 1 Kings 10:1-13)
Attributes of Good Workers
- A good worker finds solutions, not problems/excuses
A righteous person’s work is easy for them, but a slothful man’s work is always hard for them (Proverbs 15:19). God gives wisdom to the wise (Daniel 2:21), meaning that those who love wisdom increase in wisdom, but those who hate wisdom never become intelligent (see Mark 4:25). “Knowledge is easy” unto him that understands (Proverbs 14:16), and “Wisdom is before him” that has understanding (Proverbs 17:24). While the diligent man is leaping over walls (2 Samuel 22:30), making solutions, the slothful man is turning around whenever he reaches a wall, making excuses.
Proverbs 26:16 “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render reason.”
A slothful person will make excuses of danger, claiming that the work is too dangerous and would put their life or their well-being in jeopardy (Proverbs 22:13; 26:13). Dangerous as some jobs may be, Paul hazarded his life for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:26), and stood “in jeopardy every hour” (1 Corinthians 15:30), not counting his life dear unto himself (Acts 20:24). Others, like Aquila and Priscilla, laid down their necks for Paul’s sake (Romans 16:4).
A lazy man will also make excuses of difficulty, saying that the job is impossible or too difficult for someone to perform. The ten bad spies of Israel brought up an evil report upon the land of promise, that the land was perilous and the inhabitants were too strong (Numbers 13:32-33). The Ephraimites and Manassites were commanded by Joshua to take possession of a mountain, even though they complained that they had to cut down the trees, and drive out the Canaanites with iron chariots (Joshua 17:16-18)
A sluggard will frequently also offer excuses of affliction, refusing to work because of their physical discomfort or supposed illness. The working conditions can scare them away (Proverbs 20:4), or their own personal lethargy (Proverbs 6:9; 19:15; 26:14). Notwithstanding, Paul preached the gospel to the Galatians through “infirmity of the flesh” (Galatians 4:13), and Benaiah “slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow” (2 Samuel 23:20).
- A good worker is ready and willing to work, and not reluctant to do so
A righteous person is always prepared and desiring to do work when it is available, and also does not sit around waiting for more work. God does not want us to have a slack hand or mind in regard to our duties (Proverbs 10:4). The Israelites were often guilty of being reluctant to do the work of the Lord: they circled a mountain (Deuteronomy 2:2-3), they were slack to finish taking possession of the Promised Land (Joshua 18:3; Judges 18:9), and waited around to build the house of the Lord (Haggai 2:1-4; see also Zephaniah 3:16).
A lazy individual will be afraid to work. They are grieved to even move their own body members (Proverbs 19:24; 26:15), and fear to do anything (e.g., the Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:24-27). The slothful person will also be content not to work. Such a person is happiest when they do nothing. A sluggard will also be unprepared to work, not being in position to work physically or mentally (Hebrews 12:12-13).
- A good worker accomplishes tasks, and does not leave them undone
A righteous person is diligent (Proverbs 12:24; 22:29), meaning that they show care in their duties. They, like Joshua, do not leave things undone (Joshua 11:15). A godly worker will not only begin strong, but will also finish strong (Ecclesiastes 7:8). A faithful messenger delivers the message (Proverbs 13:17), and “refresheth the soul of his masters” (Proverbs 25:13). Foolish people are not so: they weary themselves with their own inability to perform (Ecclesiastes 10:15), and cause those that send them to “drink damage” (Proverbs 26:6).
Proverbs 10:26 “As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.”
Hebrews 6:11-12 “11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”