God helps and rewards those who take initiative. Dr. Anderson gives the example of Solomon and how God gave him wisdom.

Solomon asked God for wisdom but to achieve it, he still had to read and study and learn….Solomon didn’t just sit down one day and start writing Proverbs. Many of the things in that book can be traced to older books of wisdom in other cultures, especially Egypt. Solomon studied them and compiled them adding his own insights as he went. Such study is an integral part of becoming wise. When you attain wisdom, the world will seek you out to ask advice. 1

Our tendency is to just read Proverbs and think that it was a download from God. This is probably not the way it happened. It was from God, but it also involved study, practice and the life experiences of Solomon. Do you think Solomon tried things that didn’t work? Of course he did, he made many mistakes. So, as we read the following proverbs related to this topic we know this was not just theory but the product of study and life experiences.

He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son (Proverbs 12:11; 13:4; 10:4-5).

It is as simple as this. We will not have a business unless we start one. We will not own stock unless we buy some. We will not own real estate unless we go through the process to purchase some. We will never know if our wild idea for a service or a product is a good one until we try it, first on ourselves and then on others. We can have the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it via our marketing no one can purchase it. We will never write a book unless we get a computer and start typing. Listen to this quote from Author Dennis Peacock:

Laziness is married to poverty. Wealth is produced by work. If people don’t work, they don’t create wealth. Those who don’t create wealth become dependent on others for survival. 2 

Close to the end of Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Thessalonica is this statement, “Warn those who are idle”. Apparently some of the believers there we so sure of the imminent return of Jesus that they gave up their jobs in order to prepare for it. Paul was not impressed with this approach. He felt they should work. To Paul, work was spiritual.

1   Dr. C. Thomas Anderson, Becoming a Millionaire God’s Way, (New York: New York, Faith Words, Hachette Book Group USA, 2006), p. 60

2   Dennis Peacocke, Newsletter 1995