Money lessons from the book of proverbs: Part 7 Hard work is the open secret to success

7. Hard work is the open secret to success

He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs 10:4 NKJV)

Everybody hates poverty, but not everybody hates slackness. Everybody likes riches, but not everybody likes hard work. According to the Bible, poverty is not a result of a lack of opportunity, but a lack of hard work. Poverty is not a result of a lack of ability, it comes because of laziness. What separates a rich man from a poor man, is hard work. Nothing more, nothing less. It is the hand of the diligent that makes rich.

It is often said that hard-work is the open secret of success. Without which there can be no progress. The very absence of hard-work, will result with the absence of success. You can not have success without hard work , and you can not have hard work without the fruits thereof.  

The Bible says, 'In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty' (Proverbs 14:23 NKJV). The word profit means when what get out is greater than what you put in. But the Bible has already decreed, 'in all labor there is profit'. It does not matter the kind or type of labor. The point is, there has to be some laboring before there is profit.

Is laboring a curse?

It is often said that laboring is a curse. But the truth is, it is not. Before man sinned, God had already commanded man to keep the garden. Genesis 2 v 15 says, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

This was before sin entered into the world. God had already purposed that man will work and keep the garden. Working is from God, anything contrary is not the will of God. 

In fact I would argue that lack of laboring results in a self inflicted curse. There is no profit or increase without labor. Meaning lack of laboring results in lack and poverty. Without laboring, you will only talk about riches but you won't have any. 

I like this Proverb, 'Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. (Proverbs 14:4 NKJV)' 

The proverb above presents us with two options; 1. No oxen, no laboring, and a clean trough, or  2. Ox, laboring, dirty trough, and much increase and profit. The choice is yours. If you choose the first option, you should be satisfied with the clean trough and  unfortunately, poverty. A clean trough may represent no stress, no labor, no fatigue, no deadline, no pressure. 

The second option comes with much increase, but to get that you have to work. A dirty trough can represent fatigue, stress, pressure, deadlines, meetings, etc. In short, success and hard-work are inseparable. You can not have one without the other. 

The by product of hard work is tiredness, sometimes fatigue. This is unavoidable. But with it comes great progress. In the proverb above, with the oxen comes great increase and a dirty trough. You can choose no oxen and a clean trough, or a dirty trough, which represents work, and prosperity. The choice is yours.

The benefits of work

Work is fulfilling

Work does not only produce profit and increase, but is also fulfilling. Especially, when undertaking a vocation you are passionate about. Work is about making a contribution towards a success of any particular venture. This contribution, whether big or small, brings about a fulfillment.

Work supplies your needs

I Thessalonians 4 v 11 - 12 says, “that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
According to the scripture, when you work with your own hands, not merely receiving hand outs, but occupying yourself productively, you will gain respect with people and you will lack nothing. Therefore, in the absence of work, needs, wants and lack abounds. But in the presence of work, your needs will be supplied. 

In conclusion, I would like us to look at this observation by Solomon in Proverbs 24: 30 - 34, ' I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. 

The field of a lazy man was covered with thorns, it's walls were broken, and the out-come of his life was poverty. Poverty is a natural result of laziness, and laziness can only yield poverty. These two are inseparable . Where there is laziness, needs abound. It is always funny, and paradoxical, that we all want prosperity as the outcome of our lives but we do not want to do the work. Unfortunately, the Bible is clear, you reap what you sow. You determine the result through the actions you take daily. The destination is determined at the very beginning, with choices that are made. Hard work results in prosperity, while laziness results in poverty.