We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
Depending on God does not conflict with working to earn our daily bread. Indeed, work and the ability to do it are part of God’s provision. If we doubt that, we should consider the fact that Jesus Himself worked. Even though He came from heaven and all things belong to Him, He labored as a carpenter for years, confirming the pattern that was laid out for humanity in Genesis (Genesis 2:15).
Similarly, the apostles, living by faith and wholeheartedly pursuing the growth of the church, worked diligently “night and day.” They refused to be lazy or to eat anyone’s food without paying. As ministers of the gospel, they did have the right to ask for help with provisions (1 Timothy 5:17-18); however, they took responsibility for themselves and practiced the trades they knew, serving as “an example to imitate” (2 Thessalonians 3:9).
In the midst of our own labors, we must recognize that we can abuse work in at least two ways: through either laziness or overactivity. The warning of Proverbs applies to us: “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4). Or, as Paul puts it, we must not be idle. But we must pay equally careful attention to the psalmist’s words when he says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil” (Psalm 127:2). Yes, we are to labor with our hands. If we aren’t working for God’s glory, though, we are left toiling at a feverish pace, yet in vain.
Nowhere is this more apparent than when we ignore the Sabbath principle. Nothing so reveals our unwillingness to take God at His word and to trust Him for daily provision as when we abuse the command to work six days and rest for one (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Why do we think we need to work all day, every day? The answer is, quite frankly, because we struggle to trust that God will meet our needs. We must find our security not in our work but in the God who provides both the work and the means to carry it out.
In our materialistic culture, it is not easy to work faithfully while learning to be satisfied with our God-given lot. Take a moment to reflect on your own work, be it in the home, the field, the factory, or the office. In what ways are you tempted towards laziness? And in what ways towards overactivity? What will it look like for you to work hard and trust God? In a world ensnared by materialism, your contentment—in your work and in God’s provision—will be a compelling testimony to the divine love that alone provides true satisfaction.
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Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, The Good Book Company.