Diligent Hands: Proverbs 10:1-12 - 11th Sunday after Pentecost

Whenever we travel, one of our favorite guilty pleasures is eating breakfast at Waffle House—because it’s fast, cheap, and delicious.

The last time we ate there, the restaurant was packed. Eventually, a table opened up right next to the grill. There, we watched the cook prepare every meal to order with dazzling skill and efficiency. While her pace was brisk, she didn’t appear stressed in the least. Watching her was like watching a gymnast during the Olympics.

Image by Mariya Muschard from Pixabay

Finally, when she was able to take a pause when all the orders were completed, we complimented her on her work, and she smiled and said, “I love my job. How many people can make this many people happy all at once?”

She was certainly right about the happy part. We didn’t hear anyone complain that their order was wrong. 

But it also occurred to me that whatever this cook was being paid, it wasn’t enough, given her skill and work ethic. Chain restaurants are not exactly known for decent wages and a friendly work environment. 

A sad fact about 21^st century America that the most in-demand jobs come with inconsistent working hours, poor training, inadequate staffing, unrealistic expectations, rude customers, stressed-out middle managers, condescending top managers, and low pay. It’s difficult for one to reap the rewards of hard work in an environment like this.

This is why I struggled with today’s sermon text from Proverbs 10, especially verse 4, which reads: “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

My dad still stands out as the epitome of a hard worker. For weeks on end, he worked deep into the night on the home computer, only to be out the door the following morning at 7:20. After 26 years of faithful service, his employer rewarded him with a free cardboard box to take home his belongings and begin retirement a full 11 years sooner than he’d planned.

To be fair, many individuals have achieved the American Dream through hard work, and I still believe that America is the best place on earth to pursue your dreams. And I should also point out that there are numerous small and large business owners in our community, including those in our church, who have a loyal customer base, and who pay fair wages to their employees and treat them like members of their own family. 

Still, we must wrestle with the paradox that hard work won’t always make you rich. And success cannot be achieved overnight. This is why many become lazy and unmotivated. Sadly, there are far too many workplaces which fail to reward hard work with fair wages and opportunities for advancement. They suffer high employee turnover, demoralized workers, and poor service And yet, many such businesses remain profitable, because excellence is a luxury which many cannot afford. 

However, God’s truth is not constrained by bad business practices. When the Scripture says, “the hand of the diligent makes rich,” we must think bigger than the size of one’s paycheck. 

The Waffle House cook was right about her work making people happy. Nobody was forced to eat at Waffle House that day. But they came to enjoy good food at a reasonable price, and she delivered. 

I’ll never forget nursing assistant who helped my grandmother to the restroom at the memory care home where she lived. Whenever he walked in dressed in his green scrubs, she would say, “here comes my guardian angel.” How could my family ever put a dollar value on the gentleness and compassion he showed her? 

These individuals show us that while diligence does not always lead to a big paycheck, it enriches other people. It spreads happiness and joy. It brings comfort amid terrible pain. It makes life more bearable. 

When you choose to be lazy, you are judging yourself in the harshest possible way. You’re adopting the false belief that you cannot learn or accomplish anything worthwhile for yourself or for the people around you. You’re adopting the false belief that nobody needs the gifts that God has given you the ability to give. You are wasting the gifts of your mind, your voice, your hands, your ears, and your life. 

I get it: it’s hard to muster the motivation to work when the tasks are boring and repetitive, when the pay is low, the hours are long, the bosses are heartless and demanding and the customers are rude. But God can still use you and your work to make a difference. There are always opportunities to make life better for the people around you, even if you’re working in a job you hate. God can still use that stink job to prepare you for where God will be calling you in the future. 

And when someone is doing work for you, be it at the fast-food counter, the grocery store, or at the doctor’s office, you can minister to those workers too. A smile, an encouraging word, or an extra dollar in the tip jar can go a long way. You can be the reward for another’s diligence!

Another way you can turn your shopping into a ministry is by patronizing local businesses. Your neighbors need your support more than billion-dollar companies. Small businesses are just as important to the health of communities as churches and charities.

In the Kingdom of God, hard work and diligence do not just benefit individuals. Hard work and diligence build up communities. We have a long way to go to ensure fair wages and just working conditions for all people, but we can create a community where the skills, talents, and labor of all people are recognized and valued. The riches we gain are greater than money that buys things. We gain better and more meaningful lives for everyone. 

Proverbs 10:1-12 (NRSVue)

The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise child makes a glad father,
    but a foolish child is a mother’s grief.
² Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
³ The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴ A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ A child who gathers in summer is prudent,
    but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
⁷ The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.
⁸ The wise of heart will heed commandments,
    but one with foolish lips will come to ruin.
⁹ Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.
¹⁰ Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
    but one who rebukes boldly makes peace.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all offenses.