Tuesday, May 29

To download an audio version of this, click here. 

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 28:19

He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

A number of years ago I had just dragged our lawnmower out of the garage and was preparing to mow the grass when one of my sons, who was only about 8 years old at the time, asked me if I would let him mow the lawn.

I said, “Well, sure, but first I have to teach you how to use the lawnmower, bud.”

He said, “After you teach me to use the lawnmower, can I mow the lawn?”

I said, “When I’m sure you can do it safely, sure, you can mow the lawn.”

Then he said, “When I mow the lawn will you pay me five bucks?”

Somewhat surprised I said, “Maybe, but what do you need the money for?”

He said, “’Cause I’m broke!”

Two thoughts occurred to me simultaneously. First: How does an 8 year old know he’s broke? Second: Good for him for connecting wealth to work!

If the first and greatest way we honor God with our wealth is to return a portion of it as an act of worship; the second way is to provide for our families and to do so by earning our wealth through work.

Proverbs 28:19

He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Our work matters to God. In fact, it would not be going too far to say that we were created in the image of a working God in order to work. Our work matters to God because the manner in which we do our work both reflects his image and allows us to generate wealth which, in turn, provides for our families.

In the New Testament, Paul writes,

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  1Timothy 5:8

A number of years ago a man who held a management level position in a large company lost his job in a corporate take-over. The economy was in a downturn at the time and even though he had a strong resume and tremendous experience he struggled to find another management job. But he believed that he was created by God to work and that he had a responsibility to provide for his family so he took a job as a “bagger” at a local grocery-chain store so he could at least have the insurance benefit. Even though he was grossly “under-employed” in terms of his new pay scale, he was honoring God by being willing to work in order to provide security for his wife and children. 

I believe that man’s story is a beautiful illustration of the truth that all honest work – no matter how “menial” in the eyes of our culture – is honoring to God. And God, in return, promises to honor our work.

Pastor Brian Coffey