How busy are you? I heard a pastor say the year 2020 was a year of rest—and boy, was that true! But the Bible warns against laziness. “Go to the ant, oh sluggard, observe her ways and be wise….” The point is, ants work hard and stay busy. You never see ants taking a break.
I like a verse in my favorite book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes:
“Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, For you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, Or whether both of them alike will be good.” Eccl. 11:6.
This verse does not really fit.
The theme of Ecclesiastes is that life is a non-stop repetition of meaningless work no one will remember, that even if you’re famous and wise, you will be forgotten, so focus on enjoying life, your work, your family, and your Creator—these things give your life value. But then Solomon reminds us to work hard in the morning and the evening, because one field may flourish and the other may wither. So go the extra mile to cover yourself.
This verse inspires me to have several things going at once. I may work all day at Dannenbaum Engineering, but in the evenings, I teach at the University of Houston Downtown. If one job dried up, I would still have the other. I also do a lot of writing, because maybe someday it will sell. If I were to sell books, writing might bring in more money than Dannenbaum or UHD.
What about you? Do you have a “day job,” and a “night job”? Are you working your MAIN plan, but leaving room for a backup plan also? The Bible says to work hard in the morning AND in the evening, because you do not know what the future may hold, and having multiple income streams will protect you.
Read the verse again. How does it apply to your life?
Dear God, show each of us how to honor You by working hard in multiple areas.
ΑΩ
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