 Proverbs 10:4 says, A lazy person will end up poor. But a hard worker will become rich. This verse is pretty self explanatory - if you work hard, you will be rewarded. We shouldn't judge people because we think they're being lazy, but we should be self-aware and honestly assess whether we are being lazy. There are at least 19 verses in Proverbs about laziness so it is an important topic. When we're lazy we're out of God's blessing because we're focusing on ourselves and not on serving others. Proverbs tells us that if you work hard you will become rich. I believe this means rich financially, but not in the multi-millionaire kind of way. I think it means becoming rich in your soul and spirit as well. When you help and serve others, you release happy chemicals in your brain which makes you happier. Serving is a spiritual discipline that brings you closer to God too.
0 Comments
The Bible has a lot to say about money. Proverbs 10:2-3 tells us that money that is gained in the wrong way does not benefit us at all.
Easy come, easy go Money that comes easily disappears quickly. But money that is gathered little by little will slowly grow (Proverbs 13:11). Many people who win lotto have spent or lost it all within a few years. It doesn't bring them any happiness, in fact, it usually brings family conflict. You can't serve God and money No one can be a slave to two masters. He will hate one master and love the other. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. So you cannot serve God and money at the same time (Matthew 6:24). What is the most important thing to you in the world? Is it God? Money? Success (which usually brings money)? You serve the thing that is most important to you and it can't be God and money. Give your money to the poor Give the money to the poor. If you do this, you will have a treasure in heaven (Matthew 19:21). God said this to a rich, young man. Unfortunately he chose money over God. The love of money causes evil The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the true faith because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves much sorrow (1 Timothy 6:10) Money doesn't cause evil, but when you love it instead of, or more than God, it causes evil. Money that is earned honestly is a good thing as long as you don't love it too much. Money that is gained easily or dishonestly, through gambling, bribes, scams or theft will bring God's judgement and no lasting satisfaction. Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. This verse used to confuse me. I used to wonder why I should be afraid of God and how that would help me to be wise. The Hebrew word for fear means to be afraid or terrified, but it also means to respect. You can't be wise unless you fear God - unless you understand that he created the universe and you, and has a plan for both. Hebrews 10:30 says, The Lord will judge his people. Jude 1:24 says, God is strong and can help you not to fall. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. God will judge the world one day, but because he sent Jesus, those who believe in him will be judged not guilty. That inspires awe and respect. This knowledge helps you to understand life in a whole new way.
Do you fear God? Do you think about how powerful and awesome he is? Do you also think about how kind and compassionate he is?  Proverbs 6:6-11 says,
You lazy people can learn by watching an anthill. Ants don't have leaders, but they store up food during harvest season. How long will you lie there doing nothing at all? When are you going to get up and stop sleeping? Sleep a little. Doze a little. Fold your hands and twiddle your thumbs. Suddenly, everything is gone, as though it had been taken by an armed robber (Contemporary English Version). The Bible says that we can learn a thing or two from ants. Here are the things that I have learned from ants:
 I love Proverbs 4:23 in the Good News Translation - Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Cognitive science is catching up to this Biblical truth that your thoughts shape your life.
We can't control everything that happens to us, but we can control our reaction to those things. You can't control every thought that pops into your head, but you can control which ones get to move in permanently. When I was a teenager, I let some pretty unhelpful thoughts take up residence in my brain and they changed my life. I wish I had really understood what Proverbs 4:23 meant. I encourage you to use a journal to write down your thoughts and reflect on whether they are really true or not. What does the Word of God say about each thought?  Proverbs 3:13-14 says,
Happy is the person who finds wisdom. And happy is the person who gets understanding. Wisdom is worth more than silver. It brings more profit than gold. Wisdom comes from God. It is the ability to apply knowledge and insight. Godly wisdom is knowing the scriptures and applying them to your life. For example, knowing that the Bible says to tame your tongue and actually choosing words that glorify God and build others up. James 3:13 says, Is there anyone among you who is truly wise and understanding? Then he should show his wisdom by living right. He should do good things without being proud. You actions will prove whether you are wise or not. If finding wisdom makes you happy, I want a double serving. It is also valuable - it's worth more than silver and gold. Challenge: Do you actions show that you are wise?  No one likes to be told off, but we would all be juvenile delinquents if we were never disciplined or corrected. Your parents discipline you because they love you and want what's best for you (even though they don't get it right 100% of the time). Proverbs 3:11-12 says, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be angry when he corrects you. The Lord corrects the one he loves, just as a father corrects a child he cares about. God disciplines us because he loves us even more than our parents.
In my experience God often uses the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins. He prompts our spirit of things we need to change, he uses the Bible to convict us, and sometimes he uses other people to speak into our lives. What is God telling you to start or stop? Is he telling you to do more or do less of something? How did he tell you?  Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. I love these verses - they have really encouraged me throughout my life. Here are some things that really speak to me from this passage:
|
About UsShort and sweet inspirations for Christian teen girls. Archives
June 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed