Labor is a foreign word to most believers. They often believed that what is the purpose of working when God in heaven can rain down Manner in a split second. This is the singular reason why most church folks are poor, indebted, sick, and beggarly. They fail to realize that labor or work plays a vital role in the kingdom of God as well as in the physical world. Labor is one of the ways through which God blesses the believer. In this article, you will be learning about the dignity of labor and how it is the key to your financial dominion.
To become successful in any field, you need to put in the extra work or labor. As earlier highlighted, one of the reasons believers are poor is that they do not subscribe to the ideology of working. They fail to realize that money will not fall from heaven, and their work is a means through which God blesses them. The church in Thessalonians had the mindset of no work until Apostle Paul wrote to them encouraging them to mind their own business and work with their hands so that their daily life may win the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
Why Should A Believer Work
There are many reasons why a believer should engage in a trade or business, and the first one is that God commanded it. God commanded Adam to work even when he had everything provided for him. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Gen 2:15). Therefore it is not unscriptural to work. Although many folks will say, Adam represents the former or older man. First, work existed before the fall of man. Secondly, Jesus, the second Adam, worked, as scripture says, “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” (John 5:17)
Another reason believers should work is that God, the creator of the universe, worked tirelessly. Most believers are surprised when they hear that God worked. They only imagined that God is a magician who does nothing but makes wishes. The bible says that God spoke things into existence (Gen 1). But most believers fail to see that there is an arm in God that ensures that every word of God is carried out. Creating a world is work as it reveals the power of God.
Working gives dignity and fulfilment. This is very true as when you are actively doing what you are called to do, you will find joy within you. Truly, there is dignity in engaging yourself in any form of work. You lose your dignity when you are idle and lazy. A strong sense of self-worth, respect and regard are all derived through hard work. The value of work cannot be overstated; it is both humbling and rewarding. When you aren’t working, you become a liability to others around you.
‘You shall not eat until you work’ is the rule. You are only liable to eat as much as you have worked. Paul talked to the Thessalonians about the value of hard work in his letter. He chastised and shunned those members of the church who were idle because they were not falsely believed that working was a sin. Because Paul worked around the clock, he urged others to follow in his footsteps. Idleness didn’t appeal to him, and he didn’t need their money to survive. In order to acquire money, he worked hard and paid for the food he ate (2 Thessalonians 3:6-10).
Work is an avenue to receive the blessings of God. As earlier stated, God does not pour money from heaven. Instead, He blesses the things you are engaged in. Most people complain that they give and pay their tithe, but they are not receiving any benefits. The truth is that they are lazy and are not engaged in any manual labor. If they do, then be rest assured that God is going to bless the work of their hands (Deuteronomy 28).
Work is an avenue to become wealthy and provide for your family. Many people today want to make money without work. A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich (Proverbs 10:4). The truth is that your financial freedom relies on your ability to work hard. For example, Abraham, the father of faith, became free from financial struggles because he worked. He owned a crop farm, livestock, silver, and gold (Genesis 13:2). Also, his son Isaac saw how his father worked and followed the same principles. Thus, he became far richer than his father in a foreign land (Genesis 26:12).
Classification of Labor
There are basically two types of labor, and they are;
- Manual labor
- Intellectual labor.
It is important to note that there is no disparity in dignity between the two types of labor. However, most educated believers misunderstand manual labor. As a result, they despise manual laborers. In this sense, manual labor is not degrading.
Manual Labor: Our livelihood is based on manual work. Manual work provides food, water, clothing, and shelter you see around. They are the people that push the plow and harvest the crop you see in the supermarket. Manual laborers are a nation’s backbone, and they are to be highly regarded. Peter, James, and John were fishermen (manual laborers) when they met Jesus Christ.
Intellectual Labor: An example of this work includes office work, banking jobs, and insurance work. These kinds of work require very little manual effort. It affects the country’s international development. Paul was a lawyer, and Matthew was a tax collector were both intellectual laborers.
In conclusion, it is important to take pleasure in your work since no one job is essential and all occupations are complementary to one another. Anyone’s employment should not be dismissed as insignificant, and you should strive to make a livelihood so that your example might inspire others. Put an end to your search for quick success and go to work.
