PROVERBS ON WORK

August 11, 2019
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. 
1. Observe the laidback life of a sluggard (Sluggard: lazy)
2. Observe the rundown house of a sluggard 
3. Observe an ideal example  
First stop: let’s observe the laidback life of a sluggard. The sluggard is a complex character in the Proverbs. On the outside, he’s laid back and easy-going. He’s fun to be around and it seems like he has life figured out. But he has some major character flaws that he can’t see. And so, Solomon will employ humor when he engages the sluggard. This is a stroke of genius. It’s like he’s a street painter at a carnival. Have any of you ever bought one of these paintings? If so, you are a brave soul. In about 30 minutes you will get a hilarious picture of yourself, but you will also notice some unsightly details as well. “Wow, I guess my nose really is big. I guess my hair really is falling out.” When Solomon speaks to the sluggard, he is using this tactic. He will poke fun of the sluggard, but his humor packs a punch. He wants to catch the attention of the sluggard because these glaring problems are destructive. We can find at least 3 problems in the Proverbs.
This is a strong warning for us because our digital world has made procrastination easier than ever. Most of us bought cell phones and computers to help us work more efficiently, but we’re using these devices to keep us from doing work that matters. I can watch a football game while my wife goes into the grocery store. Do you know how jealous my grandpa would be? As much as I love this ability, it is not a good thing. It keeps me from doing work. Sluggards refuse to start things, and unfortunately for us, it has never been easier to kick back and relax. (We can figuratively toss and turn in bed all day long). 
Again – this is a comedic example, but it is pointing out a glaring character flaw in the life of a sluggard. And it’s really tough to hear. How many books on our shelves have a bookmark in the 2nd chapter? How many times have we set out to read the Bible and gotten lost in the wilderness with the rest of the Israelites in Leviticus? How many tools are lying around the house from an unfinished project? In case you’re wondering, I didn’t have to consult any commentaries to get examples; I just walked through my house. The sluggard doesn’t finish things. This is a major character flaw, and because of this Solomon will say that if you send a sluggard to do a job, it’s like you’re sending smoke to their eyes. The next time you sit around a campfire this summer, I want you to remember this. When the smoke blows in your eyes and your body contorts, that is what it feels like to work with a sluggard. They can’t be trusted. (Great guy, but don’t hire him.)
The sluggard has a litany of excuses at his disposal. They have to! Nobody will sympathize with him if he just stays inside and plays videogames all day. That would be clearly lazy. So, he needs to get people to hurt for him. Yeah brother, I guess it does make sense that you’re playing Xbox. That’s exactly what I’d do if there were a lion outside of my door. Play on (that guy’s got it bad!). We’re getting to the root of the problem here… This is what makes the character flaw of the sluggard so dangerous. They have a selfish desire for comfort, and so they twist the truth to get what they want. Their lazy choices are always justified in their minds. They will not face hard things. Good luck trying to persuade him otherwise. There really could be a lion outside; who are you to disagree? 
In many ways, this is the condition of our society. We are addicted to comfort & ease, and it has made us arrogant. We have sacrificed truth for pleasure. This lifestyle provides plenty of cheap & short-term pleasures, but according to the Proverbs it will reap a long-term disaster. You can’t hide under the covers forever. To make his point Solomon will take us to the house of a sluggard. This is the second stop on our tour. 
If you refuse to face hard things, your unwise choices will catch up to you. It doesn’t matter how solid your excuses are, if you constantly avoid work, you will reap what you sow. Now, you might not bear the consequences tonight, so feel free to turn on the TV this evening & binge yet another show. But you will bear it. And the tragedy of laziness is that when you finally recognize that you have a problem, it’s too late to do anything about it. The walls are already broken down and the chaos has already consumed you. Poverty will come upon you like a thief and want like an armed robber. You can’t get time back. When it’s gone, it’s gone. (Heed the warning).
And so this is the sluggard. He is committed to a life of ease and comfort and it is destroying him. But before we move on from the sluggard’s home, let me talk to the people in the room that are feeling good. Solomon is outside of someone else’s house. I would never occupy such a broken-down home. My lawn is perfectly manicured. I’m early to bed, early to rise. I don’t even need an alarm clock because I’m trained to wake up at 4am. I check every box on my list before noon. I put in 80 hours a week. Solomon isn’t standing outside of my house. I know how to work. 
We need help. We need a vision of work that matters. And of course, Solomon is always happy to show us the ideal picture. This will be the third stop on our journey together. Where do you think Solomon will take us to show us an ideal worker? Maybe the farm? The market? The palace? You can certainly find examples of hard work in those domains, but Solomon will take us to a simple home and show us a simple woman serving her family well. Look at Proverbs 31 with me briefly. This chapter is typically the domain of the women’s ministry – and rightfully so. The Proverbs 31 woman is a powerful picture of an excellent wife. But for our purposes this morning, I think she can teach all of us a lesson on work. Solomon says quite a bit about this woman, but he hones in on her work ethic. Let me highlight two features of her inspiring work. 
First, she is diligent. Look at v.15 – She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. Verse 27 – She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Compare this woman with the sluggard. The sluggard refuses to face the day, tossing & turning all morning long, but this woman is up before the day even begins. The sluggard refuses to walk the streets that are filled with lions, but this woman is walking them in the dark. She is diligent!
Does that sound like a miserable woman? No! Because in the Bible, a life of service is not a life of slavery; it is a life of freedom and blessing (and you will reap that fruit one day)! Jesus said that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit. Do you want a fruitful life? Look to Jesus! He perfectly embodied this life of self-giving service. And then he empowered us to lay down our own lives for the sake of others. If you have the mind of Christ, you can consider others better than yourself. You can enter into a life of service. It sounds miserable, but it is the path to freedom. What is truly miserable is a life of self-centered devotion. Stay in bed. Do what it takes to stay comfortable. You will have a life of cheap thrills and shallow adventures, but it will kill you. If you lay down your life for the sake of the gospel, God will exalt you. 
When you enter into this type of life, you will work will become joyful. This is the last thing I’ll say about the Pr31 woman. Look at verse 13 – She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. That word willing means that she works with delight and pleasure. She is excited to work. She wakes up before dawn not because she has a lot to do, but because she can’t wait to serve other people. 
How sweet that day will be when Jesus reigns on the earth and we can go about our work like Adam and Eve in the Garden before the fall. If Christ reigns in your life right now, you can get a taste of that this week. Work for other people; work with joy; work with diligence. 
No more let sins and sorrows grow,Nor thorns infest the ground;He comes to make His blessings flowFar as the curse is found