“Workaholic” is a bad word in the church. This is because we are often so consumed with our work that we neglect God and family. Work becomes god. This is no good, of course.

However, we must strive for balance (as usual). Significant parts of our culture have now replaced the god of work with the god of entertainment and leisure. I have written here about the warning from Prov 12:11: Avoid Worthless Pursuits.

We see a very high value placed on work in the Bible. Just look at the Proverbs. Paul also consistently discussed work in his letters. In 2 Thess 3:6-15, Paul warned the believers to stay away from brothers who are idle. He then reminded them of his example:

“We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you” (2 Thess 3:7-8).

Paul sounds like a workaholic to me. But here is the important part: He was not leaving out God and ministry to people. In fact, he spoke the same way in reference to his ministry. “For three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears” (Acts 20:31). Paul was a workaholic for Christ.

Do you work hard to provide for yourself and others?
Do you work hard in serving the Lord? What is your ministry?
Do you have too much focus on entertainment and leisure?

You might be wondering: I’m already worn out! How can I do more?

Here are two ideas for later discussion:

1) A healthy life includes rest and renewal. Are you resting? Is your non-work time renewing or depleting your energy?

2) We do not work with our own strength for the Lord!

“For this (proclaiming Christ) I toil, struggling with ALL HIS ENERGY that he powerfully works within me” Col 1:28.

I spoke with a friend this morning about this challenging Proverb, so I am reposting this entry from April 1 of this year.

“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” Prov 12:11

What a great standard for the activities we choose for ourselves and our children! First is the priority of work. Our provision should come from our own work. We cannot train our children or allow adults to expect others to provide for them. Everyone works!

Second, not that everything we do must be work, but everything we do must have worth; it must have value and benefit. We are an entertainment driven culture and many of our activities qualify as worthless pursuits. Entertainment is not inherently bad since it is a form of relaxation that we all need. However, there are so many spiritually and intellectually nourishing forms of relaxation and entertainment! Instead of justifying our entertainment habits as "relaxation we all need," we can raise the standard and engage in activities that qualify as "worthy pursuits."