Proverbs 31:13-19
[13]
She seeks wool and flax,
and
works with willing hands.
[14]
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she
brings her food from afar.
[15]
She rises while it is yet night
and
provides food for her household
and
portions for her maidens.
[16]
She considers a field and buys it;
with
the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
[17]
She dresses herself with strength
and
makes her arms strong.
[18]
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her
lamp does not go out at night.
[19]
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and
her hands hold the spindle.
With Mother’s Day coming up in a
week and a half it is appropriate to talk about some of the characteristics of
a mother found in the Bible. Naomi, from the book of Ruth, appears to be a
woman who lived her faith despite difficulties and loss. It is in the dark
times that true character shows its face. Naomi followed her husband to a
foreign land. There she lost her husband and her two sons. Ruth’s grieving mother-in-law
exemplified selflessness, industriousness, and faith.
I wrote earlier about selflessness.
Today I would like to reflect on industrious. Naomi repeatedly took initiative
in her decisions. She didn’t wait for someone to tell her to go home. She
announced to her daughters-in-law that she was going. She didn’t wait for Ruth
to come up with a plan for providing food once she arrived back home. She sent
Ruth out to glean. She didn’t wait for a kinsman-redeemer to come asking for Ruth’s
hand, she came up with a plan to approach Boaz.
Industriousness seems to be a lost
character quality in our day. When troubles arise we wait for someone to bail
us out, and when they are too slow, we complain. When I was going to seminary I
was washing windows. I started working for a small company that had been
started by a seminary student. When he graduated he sold his business to an
employee. I went to work for him. Eventually I ended up buying part of his
business. I still did some work for him while working to expand my business in
another part of the city. I had dreams of growing my window cleaning business
to the point where I could have several guys working for me. I quickly
discovered that lots of people wanted a paid position, but few wanted to
actually work. Yet God created us to work. Work is not a bad word. Work
reflects the God who created us. Six days he worked. The seventh he rested. In
fact, in John 5:17 Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I am
working.” We were created to be industrious.
[10] For even when we were with you, we would give you this command:
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. [11] For we hear that some
among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. [12] Now such
persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work
quietly and to earn their own living.
If people are unable to work, then
we have the responsibility to care for them, but we must be careful how we
help. Help should always elevate the value of a person, not dehumanize them. It
should be a boost up whenever possible. It is hard to accept help. Our pride gets
in the way. Sometimes we need to learn to accept help graciously. But more
often we need to learn to step up and work. That is how we were designed. When
we find ourselves struggling, like Naomi, don’t just wait around for help. Pray
for wisdom and insight, and then step out and do what you can. Proverbs warns,
Proverbs 26:13-15 (ESV)
[13]
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
There
is a lion in the streets!”
[14]
As a door turns on its hinges,
so
does a sluggard on his bed.
[15]
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it
wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
Two chapters later it reminds us “Better
is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in
his ways” (Prov 28:6). During this time of quarantine and isolation we might be
tempted to get lazy. Rather, may we follow the example of Naomi. By the grace
of God, may we demonstrate the character quality of industriousness no matter
what the world throws at us. Work is not a bad word.
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