Sometimes when we say we’re “trusting” in God to give us a job, we’re just being slothful. I’ve been that, expecting God to drop something into my lap while I sat in bed or on the sofa, munching on snacks and sipping down both Starbucks and my savings.
Proverbs 12 has some verses to combat those attitudes:
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
– Proverbs 12:11
The idea here is that someone who works the land by plowing, sowing and reaping, will have bread. God has engineered the entire universe, including the local environmental climate, precipitation, seed, seasons, etc. Without God’s engineering, there’d be no seed, land, or even concept of bread. Yet, it’s our job to work the land, for without our work, we won’t have bread.
In contrast to someone working the land is someone “who follows worthless pursuits”. Worthless pursuits could be buying lottery tickets or chasing after “get-rich-quick” schemes. It also could be wasting time in something that appears productive and sensible, but is downright worthless.
I remember how much time I wasted scouring classified ads on Craigslist, thinking that would land me my next job. Needless to say, I applied over two hundred times and got absolutely nowhere. It wasn’t until I joined a job club that things started to look up.
The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
– Proverbs 12:24Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
but the diligent man will get precious wealth.
– Proverbs 12:27
Both of these verses use the words “diligent” and “slothful”.
Want to be forced into an occupation that you’re not called to? Be slothful. Sloth tells employers that you don’t care, that you’re willing to put in the least amount of effort and nothing more. Sloth tells others you’re not ready to lead because you don’t lead already in your diligence.
Hunger Games
If you’re slothful, your work will be terribly inefficient and ineffective. When Proverbs 12:27mentions the slothful not roasting his game, the idea is that even the slothful person went out and hunted some animal for food. God may have provided a nice, sunny day and a plump deer or gazelle to cook up to give plenty of food. But back home after the hunt, the slothful person is so lazy he or she won’t bother cutting up and cooking the animal for food. Maybe it was a hard time hunting, or maybe the weather’s not good anymore. Either way, because the slothful person won’t roast his game, the game sits there and rots, while the slothful person just gets hungrier.
Conclusion
Whatever you do, don’t take the above verses and get discouraged. Instead, look at your attitudes during your job search to see if you’re slothful or diligent.
- Is there “land” that’s available now for me to work, such as small side jobs or freelance work that can result in bread
- Am I spending time on worthless pursuits, even in the name of “job seeking”? Have I consulted with others about whether these pursuits are worthwhile?
- Are there slothful attitudes within me that are causing inefficiency and ineffectiveness in my life?