by Pastor Carl Robbins

One of the Great Bequests of the Reformers was the establishment and promotion of a Protestant Work Ethic. Up until the Reformation, the Roman Catholic church had taught that only “sacred work” (i.e. the priesthood) was meaningful.  So called “secular callings” had limited value and worth. But the Reformers shattered the dichotomy and claimed all of life for Christ and declared that the laborer digging a ditch could glorify God just as much as the minister preaching a sermon.

Let me remind you of the basic planks in the Protestant Work Ethic:

• Work is a creation ordinance (per Genesis 2:15), like Marriage and the Sabbath. Work is NOT a product of the Fall, but was instituted before the Fall.
• Work has dignity, because God is a worker (per Genesis 1:31, 2:3), and therefore we mirror His image when we labor.
• EVERYONE should work- since everyone is made in God’s image
• Work is a discloser of character. What God made reveals His nature. What YOU do reveals YOUR character. When God works, it is orderly, beautiful, well planned and timely
• Working HARD is good & noble (Prov. 18:9, 19:15). Don’t be moderate about your work.
• Work is satisfying , man was not made to dread labor, but to be fulfilled by it (Prov. 14:23). Our work is to be permeated with purpose.
• God promises blessings to the hard worker; included in them are restfulness (per Ecclesiastes 5:12, The sleep of a laboring man is sweet).
• All legal professions (yes, there are professions and jobs that are not lawful for the Christian to do) are honorable. The fact that the Eternal Son of God worked as a manual laborer is a testimony to the sanctity of work !
• Work is a necessity to provide for your household (1 Timothy 5:8). Begging  (though viewed as holy by Rome) was seen to be a nuisances and unlawful.

The Proverbs are chock full of warnings against laziness. They identify the lazy man, calling him/her “the sluggard”. A quick survey of Proverbs 6:6-11, 12:24-27, 18:9 and 24:30-34 will give you some brilliant insights into the destiny of the lazy man. But all the Biblical writers line up to agree with this premise: Laziness is wickedness.

Laziness is wicked because God made you to work and when you don’t, you are not living for the purposes for which you were created!

Laziness is wicked because it robs God. When you are not laboring you rob Him of the honor and service you might have done Him by your diligence.

Laziness is wicked because it robs others. Instead of doing good TO them, you are forced to take from them.

These are some of the reasons that Paul forbade the Thessalonians to even share a meal with lazy professing Christians (per 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10-12) and gave the inspired maxim: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat! 

Martin Luther, in his commentary on Ecclesiates 9:10 ( Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might) says in his direct manner: “God doesn’t want you to succeed without work. He doesn’t want you to sit home and pray for a fried chicken to fly into your mouth….that is tempting God!”

The famous Methodist evangelist Sam Jones (who died in 1906) used to have what he called “quitting meetings” for his new converts. People would come and publicly confess their sins and repent of them. He encouraged people to swear off everything from drunkenness and profanity  to immorality and gossiping. Jones asked one woman what it was she planned to quit.

She replied “ I ain’t been doin’ nuthin and I am going to quit that”!

-Happily Working for God’s glory,

Pastor Carl