The Goodness of Wisdom Literature
If you’ve ever read the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament, you know that it is crammed with advice on engaging in relationships with others, dealing with finances, dealing with the anger of others, trusting the Lord, and of course… the importance of work. While the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes provide us with great wisdom, one must understand that they are not promises.
In other words, the formula of Proverbs isn’t “if A, then B will definitely happen.” That is too simplistic and is outside of the scheme and purpose of this collection. By reading these works and quickly reflecting on them, one will quickly see this. Rather, we should read such wisdom in the scheme of general principle. “if A, then B will probably (or even possibly) happen.”
In a broken world, we cannot expect a perfect end to anything we do on this side of eternity, even if it’s for the Lord. We will stumble. We’ll fall. We will mess up. And sometimes, even doing things perfectly can lead to what seems fruitless.
But Maybe That’s What’s Good About Wisdom Literature…
Wisdom Literature is not meant to give us all of the answers to life’s questions nor a solution to every problem. Rather, Wisdom Literature guides us in walking with the Lord in life’s circumstances (even if the result is uncomfortable and challenging.) The wisdom in these Scriptures is meant to point us to a road map where the end destination may not be known or found. And that’s OK.
Our job as believers is not to find the perfect ending to our lives here on Earth (not by the world’s standards anyway). Our job is to know the Lord and make Him known whether it’s in our laughter with friends, our relationships with peers, our handling of our home, our engagement with strangers, and of course, the work of our hands. All of these things are the fruit of our faith and need to be informed by the Gospel to which we have committed ourselves. The Wisdom Literature of the Bible helps us live out our Gospel-centered commitment.
Wherever You Are
Wherever you may be, whether richer or poorer, in good health or in bad, whether you’re working today or not… or if you’re struggling… hard… my prayer is that you are able to sit and rest at some point. Find time to rest in the Lord today, and dedicate your work to Him. As you sit and rest, I want to share with you some wisdom for our work:
Proverbs 12:11-12 – A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.
Proverbs 12: 24 – Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
Proverbs 12: 27 – Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
Proverbs 13: 4 – Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
Proverbs 13: 11 – Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Proverbs 19: 1 – Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.
Proverbs 20: 4 – Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.
Reflections
This isn’t an exhaustive list, as I could’ve brought in Ecclesiastes and passages in the New Testament as well. But I pray that we know that work is good. On this side of eternity, we surely experience the toil and the labor of it. As a consequence of the fall, our work is sometimes (many times) difficult. This should not keep us from being diligent.
Work is good. We are made for it. And we were made to do it well. Let us work hard with the Lord in the front of our minds. Reflect and rest today. Rest especially in the fruit of your Labor, as you dive into whatever season you find yourself in.
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