Colossians 3:23 (NLT)“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

1. Whatever you do, break the curse of laziness.

• This generation wants to get rich quick, with minimal effort, and maximum profit.
• What God hates about laziness – useless, unfruitful, and unaccomplished.
• What laziness is like:
  • Proverbs 26:13–16 (NLT) — 13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” 14 As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. 15 Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. 16 Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.
  • Fear (lion on the road)
  • Comfort (turns over in bed)
  • Apathy(don’t even lift it to their mouth)
  • Pride (smarter than seven wise counselors)
• The curse of laziness:
  • Proverbs 24:30–34 (NLT) — 30 I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. 31 I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. 32 Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: 33 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 34 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
  • A lazy person will be surrounded by misery.
  • A lazy person will be pounced by poverty.
  • A lazy person will be robbed by scarcity.
• God honors effort—work is part of His design.
  • Useful - When something is useful, it has purpose. Purpose is a blessing.
  • Fruitful - God commanded everything He created to be fruitful.
  • Accomplished - God gave us the model in that he worked for six days, then called it blessed, and had the blessing of accomplishment.

2. Balance so you don’t burn out

• Just as intrinsic to nature as work and fruitfulness is, so is rest.
• Exodus 23:12 (NLT) – “Six days are set aside for work, but on the seventh day you must stop working…”
• Mark 6:31–32 (ESV) — 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
• SABBATH - means to cease, desist, rest.
  1. It is Holy - means it is declared to be special by God.
  2. It is Covenantal - It was a sign of the people of God; they were blessed to take a rest.
  3. It is Prophetic - One day we will enter into the rest of God.

3. Being Crooked Will Cost You.

• Three words that should never be in your working practices
  • Corruption
  • Cheating
  • Coverups
• Proverbs 11:1 (NLT) — 1 The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.
• Proverbs 2:7 (NLT) – “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.”
• Proverbs 28:6 (NLT) – “Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich.”
• Proverbs 10:9 (NLT) – “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.”

4. A Job Well Done Honors God

• God loves a job well done:
• Colossians 3:23 (NLT) – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
• Three benefits of excellent work
  • Others enjoy it.
  • It glorifies God.
  • It gives you favor.

5. Generosity Beats Greed

• Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT) – “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”
• Jewish system of generosity
  • Tithes
  • Offerings
  • Alms
• Generosity keeps greed in its place - keeps the idol of greed at bay.

To summarize:

• If you WORK HARD
• Have BALANCE
• Don’t CHEAT
• Work with EXCELLENCE
• Stay GENEROUS
• God will bless you in your work.