WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
NOVEMBER 05, 2024
TOPIC: WORK HARD BUT WORK WITH WISDOM
BY T. O. BANSO
“The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city” (Ecclesiastes 10:15 Amplified Bible).
Hard work is one of the keys to success in life. Laziness leads to failure. The Bible says that because of laziness, the building decays, and through idle hands, the house leaks (Ecclesiastes 10:18). It also says in Proverbs 19:15 that laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
The Bible encourages believers to work. And not just to work, but also to work hard. “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave” (Proverbs 12:24 New Living Translation). Hard work is important in living a meaningful life. As the Bible says in Proverbs 13:4, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper” (New Living Translation).
However, as important as hard work is, it does not guarantee success. Some people are working hard but don’t seem to have much to show. In frustration, such people may dismiss the counsel that one must work hard to succeed. But that would be wrong. It is not that working hard is bad counsel but hard work is just one of the essential things for success. Hard work alone is not enough.
Some people are already working hard and, probably, working more than they are supposed to. But something is missing. Such people may not be working wisely. They could be labouring but not with wisdom – labouring foolishly and wasting their energy and other resources without any appreciable result.
Such people should not dismiss the counsel to work hard but should ask themselves what they lack, just as Jesus told that rich young ruler he lacked one thing. “‘When Jesus heard his answer, he said, ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’” (Luke 18:22 New Living Translation). Unfortunately, this man wasn’t ready to do what Jesus told him. He went away sorrowfully because he was very wealthy. Those working hard without commensurate results should ask themselves, and more importantly, ask God and probably some people who know more than they do, what they are supposed to do that they’re not yet doing.
Ask God for wisdom concerning your work or a particular assignment. Your legitimate work is His work. James 1:5 says if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Don’t labour as a fool; be wise. Ask God for wisdom. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7).
Ecclesiastes 10:15 says, “Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home” (Amplified Bible). An ignorant person trying to do a simple task wastes his energy and time, and the time of others and wastes materials as he engages in trial and error. However, a knowledgeable person will do the same task skilfully without wasting resources.
Don’t despise wisdom in doing your work whether you’re a pastor, teacher, barber, accountant, lawyer, doctor, engineer, or whatever you are. It will determine largely whether your efforts yield the right results or not. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says, “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed” (New Living Translation). A wise person will ensure his axe is well sharpened before he starts working but a fool considers this a waste of time and, probably, a waste of money if he has to pay for it to be sharpened. He goes immediately to work because he wants to finish his work early. But he ends up using more energy and spending more time. If he eventually finishes, he is worn out. He may become sick and spend more money on medicine than he needs to sharpen his axe! He is penny-wise and pounds foolish.
Wise people sharpen their axes by going for training and retraining, they acquire and study materials to upgrade their knowledge, etc. But a fool doesn’t regard this as important. Therefore, he continues to do something the same way that is not working and wonders why he is not getting results. Hard work is not enough. Hard work without wisdom will lead to frustration. Wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:13).
Another translation of Ecclesiastes 10:10 says, “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success” (Holman Christian Standard Bible). Hard work will not produce the right results if your axe is dull. Go and sharpen your axe and then return to work. Ecclesiastes 9:16a says wisdom is better than strength. You may need to benefit from somebody’s wisdom. So talk to someone in your field. He could be your mentor, a senior, or a colleague. The Bible says as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).
Probably Moses was sweating as he judged the Israelites alone, which prompted his father-in-law, Jethro, to correct his method! He was working hard but the result wasn’t commensurate with his efforts. Jethro told him what he was doing was not good, and Moses and the people with him would wear themselves out because the work was too much for him to perform alone. He advised Moses to appoint men with certain qualities who would judge the people always while Moses would judge only the great matters brought to him. Moses listened to the voice of wisdom to delegate authority (Exodus 18:17-24).
Labour wisely; don’t wear out yourself. Solomon appreciated the importance of ruling his people with wisdom. Therefore, when he had the unique opportunity to ask God what He should give him, he asked for a discerning heart to govern His people and distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9). God was pleased with this unselfish request and granted it; He also gave him what he didn’t ask for.
Proverbs 3:13 says blessed are those who find wisdom and gain understanding. Are you working hard or working hard with wisdom? Do you think your current challenge or problem in your work, project, or career, is because of a deficit of wisdom? Will you get a better result with wisdom added to hard work? Will you continue to waste your strength using your dull axe or will you go to sharpen it? What specifically are you going to do to sharpen it? May the Lord give you an understanding of what to do. Work hard but work with wisdom.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me not to labour as a fool. Deliver from ignorance that could frustrate my efforts and make success elude me. I receive the wisdom that guarantees success. Please show me what I need to do or who I need to meet to excel in my career, ministry, or whatever I do. I shall not suffer from a deficit of wisdom in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
