The cravings of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.  All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. (NIV)  

If there is one thing that none of us like to hear, it’s this: You’re lazy. Growing up, we may have heard our parents, teachers, or mentors say things to us like, “If you want something, you have to work hard for it,” “Don’t sleep your day away,” “Hard work pays off,” or my dad’s favorite quote from John Wayne, “You’re burning daylight, Chris; let’s go!”  

‍

On the other hand, your parents might have also told you the rewards of giving with such sayings as, “You should learn how to give back,” “Did you make a difference today?”, “You’re more fortunate than others,” or “Did you share with someone?” I think it was much easier to hear these encouraging sayings as young adult than to read what the writer in Proverbs 21 had to say, which is that laziness would lead to death! Could you imagine if your parent said that to you?

‍

As harsh as those words may sound, there is a truth to them. No matter your situation or station in life, in order to survive, you must put forth effort in some way, shape, or form. Outcomes require effort. In this case, the “sluggard” describes someone that always wants more and more but does not put forth the effort to make it even remotely possible. The equation to their outcome is simple: Nothing worked for equals nothing gained, which equals nothing given. On the other hand, the equation for the righteous goes like this: Something worked for equals something gained, which equals something given. In fact, it results in more and more generosity, or, as this passage puts it, “without sparing.”  

I have a very good friend that lives his life this way every day. Through hard work and sacrifice he has become very blessed financially, and with this blessing, he chooses to give without sparing. He blesses those that have little and those that have much. He is there for his friends and neighbors no matter what station in life the world categorizes them in. He performs his civic duties, blesses his community, and his church. You see, he recognized that God gives him the ability to do what he does, and so he does it faithfully. Even though he could retire, he chooses not to so he can continue to give without sparing.  

‍

We may not all be blessed in this way, and that’s okay. Reflect on your life so far and see where your hard work has paid off. It does not have to be just financially. It could be through serving at church, making things better in your workplace, or just loving your family well by the way you take care of them. Have you given back out of your hard work? Have you paid attention to the multiplied blessings from God that has facilitated?  

‍

A little thing I would tell my children when they were growing up is this: They must contribute at least one thing to the family every day. This could be as simple as washing the dishes, folding some cloths, helping shovel snow off the walkway, or just picking up after themselves so someone else did not have to. If we applied this mindset to our own lives, we might see these blessings grow in our families, our community, and our church, as well. Where is God asking you to give without sparing?

Dear Lord, Jehovah-Jireh, the One that provides…Thank you for giving me the ability to contribute from what you have given me, that I to may give without sparing, for I know all things come from you. It’s in your Son’s name I pray, Amen.