2/3 Spock

(Proverbs 10:4 KJV)  He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

If you get out much you have heard people talk trash about American “middle class values” and how this is an archaic way of looking at the world.  The idea is that we are the slaves of capitalism and greed.  While there are certainly aspects of American culture that need criticism we need to be careful of taking the bait offered so freely by academic culture.  Many of their criticisms are designed to remove the salt of Bible teaching from society.

Here we have reference to work and it is clearly stated that hard, or “diligent” (2742) work is a good thing.  Many of America’s “middle class values” are an extension of the influence that Christians have had on our country.  One of those values it what is sometimes called the Puritan Work Ethic.  It is called that as an insult when we should accept it as a compliment.  Hard work is the expectation that the Bible has for the people of God.  Sloth and laziness is a product of sin and a cause of poverty. 

So?  As Christians we need to be alert for the dangers of materialism.  As Christians we are to be even more alert for sloth in our lives.  To add to Mr. Spock’s formula so that it is more Christian, “Live long, work hard, and prosper.”