Do you know any workaholics? You know, people who constantly work. Their hours are 9-5, but they stay up late working constantly. It’s a badge of honor to them to be the first person to the office each day, and the last one to leave. Many of them live very stressful lives. They worry that they won’t complete their job on time. They stress about income. They’re so busy making a living that they forget to make a life. Many end up sacrificing family for work.
Psalm 127:2 says, “It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the Lord provides for those he loves, while they are asleep” (GNT). In our fast paced world, where technology has allowed us to work 24/7 from anywhere on the globe, becoming a workaholic is easier than ever. But God says that being a workaholic is useless. In fact, it becomes a question of the heart.
The biggest question is: do you trust God to be your provider? So many times when we make a habit out of working non-stop, we do it because we forget who our source is. Because we go to work and work rewards us with a paycheck, we begin to think we are our own source or our job is. If we believe God is our source, it relieves the pressure of having to become a workaholic so we can provide for ourselves.
I believe in hard work, and I believe that if a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat. But I also believe that God is my provider. If I trust Him with my finances, and I give Him His part of my income as recognition of being my provider, then I don’t have to stress about where the next job comes from and I don’t have to stress and work constantly. I’ve learned that God is not a well that can run dry. He is a never ending river who supplies all of my needs according to His riches (Phil 4:19). Become a member of workaholics anonymous and trust God to be your provider.
Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash
Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 
“God is not a well that can run dry.” So true! A dear friend of mine, who walked with God many years, used to say, “If Jesus wants me to have something He takes me to it.” She was one of the happiest, carefree saints I’ve ever known.
On the other hand, an Army officer I once met at a workshop, remarked that “Pace setting is a negative leadership trait.” He meant the practice of coming in earlier and leaving later than your colleagues is not necessarily a badge of honor. Out working others may inflate one’s pride, but contributes little to espirit de corps.
So true. It’s easy to confuse busyness with holiness. Our work performance can sometimes be a reflection of our attempts at spiritual performance. Pride has a funny way of sneaking in to the strangest of places to try to unseat Christ at the center of our life.
I know a lot of people, including myself, who constantly stress over money and making a living. It is so true that God provides, being self-sufficient financially does nothing for spiritual wealth. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” – Mark 8:35-36
Great point. It’s easy for us to forget that spiritual wealth is for eternity. We get so caught up in the rat race here trying to be comfortable that we can lose sight of what’s important. Thanks.