Does the Old Testament agree with Jesus' teachings on hard work and wealth? Well, if you are a true Bible believing Christian the answer would have to be a resounding, "Yes!" If the Bible is true, then everything in the Bible must be true. Thus, the writers of the Old Testament would have to be in line with what Jesus taught. If you missed my earlier article about what Jesus truly taught about money and wealth please visit my website www.workfromhomechristian.com for the full text. So, let us examine exactly what the Old Testament says about hard work and wealth. One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament is Proverbs 13:4. "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich." That verse speaks to me on many different levels. First, it is not simply enough to want something. We all want many things. The question is what are we willing to do to get those things? Even more importantly are those wants for us or for Him? I want to have enough money set aside to send my kids to college. I want to make sure I can make it to all of my kids' school and church events. I want to have more money and time to give to my church and my family. I want to be able to help those that are less fortunate than I am. Those are my main wants. I believe in one way or another those are all legitimate wants in the eyes of God. So what am I willing to do to get those things? I had to learn that I could not achieve any of those things working in the job I was in. Yes, I was making decent money, but in trade, I was giving up most of my waking hours. I probably could have set aside enough money for my kids to go to college, and I was tithing my paycheck. However, I was missing most of my kids' events, and I didn't have as much money as I wanted to help the less fortunate. When I was about to be laid off, I was given an epiphany. I was listening to the radio, and an advertisement came on the air about starting my own business and working from home. Skeptically, I visited the website. After I had gotten some information and talked to several members of the organization, I realized that this was the vehicle I needed to be able to have the money and time for my family and church. I started my business and have not looked back. It was a God-send. I trust it will be the same for you. But, I digress. Back to what the verse in Proverbs is talking about. Not only is the verse talking about literal wealth, but spiritual wealth as well. Many of the Proverbs have dual meanings. This is one of those Proverbs. Many of us desire to have a closer walk with God. So what are we willing to do about it? The best way to get started on that, is to hit your knees. If you want to be closer to Him, spend more time talking to Him. It is not that much different than in relationships with other people. If you really want to get to know them, spend time talking (and more importantly listening) to them. What I have found is that when my life gets hectic and stressful, my prayer life suffers because of it. I know in my heart that it should be the complete opposite, but that is the way I am built. The same thing happens in my relationship. Fortunately, my wife has figured this out about me and knows how to bring calm to the storm. I believe that the whole point of this verse is this: If you want something (that is for the benefit of the Kingdom), do something about it. Don't sit and hope and wish and dream. Take action. Don't be lazy and expect it to come to you. Go out and get it. So, if you want a closer relationship with God, get on your knees and really listen. If you want more money and time for your family and church, find a way to make it happen. A good place to start for that is www.workfromhomechristian.com.
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I first looked into what Jesus taught about money and wealth. Now I am comparing His teachings to those of the Old Testament. Do they jive?
Jeff Fuller www.workfromhomechristian.com
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