The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. (Proverbs 28:19 HCSB)
Good honest hard work is considered godly and worthy of reward. That doesn’t mean that the person who puts in an 8-hour work day and doesn’t steal the company post-it-notes will automatically be blessed by God. You can still work and chase fantasies at the same time, and in the end have your fill of poverty.
It’s interesting that the Bible says, “works his land.” The place where God has placed you for the time being is your “land,” not just the office or workplace that you tolerate for the sake of a paycheck. It has been given to you as a gift for you to develop godly work skills and even if your job is as uninteresting as flipping burgers, every day is an opportunity to exercise the fruit of the Spirit. Your boss may not have a clue that your mind is set on spiritual things, but God sees and will prosper all you do no matter what temperament or mindset he has.
Think of how many times you have complained about a job for good reason, but then allowed the negatives to defeat you spiritually. You may have shown up on time every day, but procrastinated on your projects, engaged in office gossip, become obsessed with the opinions of coworkers instead of focusing on the tasks at hand, or even caved in to unethical work practices. You were in effect, chasing fantasies and not truly working your land.
Weak and ineffective Christians compartmentalize their work life as separate from their spiritual life, thinking that God has to be pleased with them because they wake up early and show up at a place they’d rather not be. They have no clue that God is ready to work a miracle of change right where they are, if they put Him first in everything they do, think and say right there at work. If God has a better place for them, He’ll lead them there. But until then, He wants more than anything to reveal His love and goodness in the middle of a very worldly atmosphere. Those who value their relationship to God fight against their flesh to honor Him wherever they are, and they are the ones who have plenty, naturally – supernaturally.
There are those who chase after fantasies like the lottery, casinos, betting on sports events and putting all their hopes on lucky streaks. Not only is this illogical and a proven waste of money, but it separates us from God. We displease Him when we turn to quick fixes, fuelled by the spirit of greed (all gambling has that demon behind it) and we give free reign for the devil to take away all we have.
When the doors of our spiritual lives are open to God, we are constantly asking Him what He needs from us and how we can please Him more. Then the physical blessings that He promises us just flow. Take a good look at the choices you’ve been making. Get rid of the fantasies, and start working your land with a heart after His.
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