What about work ethic and generosity?

I hope this post will be just controversial enough to get you thinking about God's view of work.  We live in a day when more and more people are needing and asking for a hand out.  Increasingly, our government is conditioning people to ask for help rather than work to be self-reliant (just my opinion).  I'm not certain of the numbers, but I know the number of people receiving government assistance in 2013 is way up compared to when I was a teenager in the 1980s.  

Maybe you saw the movie Cinderella Man--it was a true story about James J. Braddock and his boxing career during the depression.  During the movie, he brakes his hand and has to work on the docks.  In the process his utilities are turned off and he looses his kids.  Really tough times!  As a result, he stands in line to receive government assistance, even tough it was a shameful thing to do in those days.  Then, he gets another chance to be in the ring.  He wins big!!  But he didn't forget about the government assistance.  You know what he did?  He stood back in the same line and paid the government back.  Wow!  He's my hero!  It's better to give than to receive.

In Ephesians 4-6, Paul is writing to Christians about living as children of the light.  He writes about behaviors such as anger and love, sexual immorality and purity, coarse joking and wholesome talk, and then . . .  he writes something very interesting about work!  Here's what he says, "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." (Ephesians 4:28)  

It's true, the Bible says that work is good and stealing is bad.  But what else can we learn from this surprising verse in Ephesians?  First, Paul considers work to be "useful"--work has a purpose.  We are not all blessed to have jobs we really enjoy, but our work does have a purpose.  As we work, we provide for our family, for instance.  1 Timothy 5:8 says, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."    As we work, we have opportunity to bless others with our generosity.  That seems to be Paul's message here about work--don't be a taker (i.e. steal), be a giver (help those in need).

Here's my goal -- I want to work as hard as I can "unto the Lord" so that I can provide for my family AND so that I can become a generous person helping others who are truly in need.  I believe Christians should have a great work ethic.  We should work hard to provide for our family and to be generous with those suffering loss in life.  I'll leave you with Proverbs 13:4, "A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."  I hope this got you think ing about work and generosity.  Have a great week.