How to get a promotion. (12:24)
The hand of the diligent will rule, but a slack hand will be put to forced labour.
All else being equal, the harder people work, the higher they rise in responsibility, in management.
This proverb deals with two extremes: The ruler and the slave. But there are many postings or stations in-between. The text implies that management works harder than “labour.” So there’s a common maxim: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Ironically, those who want to take it easy, cannot. Those who try to avoid work are forced to work, usually in low-skilled, low-paid positions under constant supervision. Those who can successfully supervise such labourers need many skills; they add value to an organization and win promotions.
God makes work necessary, obligatory and ultimately satisfying and happy. Those who choose to avoid work, make themselves miserable and have work forced on them. Please note the caveat “all else being equal.” Really, it’s never equal. Here are two special situations.
First, immigrants (including my parents, fleeing communism in the late 1950s) must take on less desirable jobs. Refugees and immigrants who must toil at low-skill, low-paid work are not the subjects of this proverb.
Second, well-intended, but ill-conceived government welfare programs sometimes provide assistance to those shunning any sort of work. Sooner or later, government subsidies for laziness will run out. The truth behind this proverb will outlast these naive governments.
Translation: Diligent
The Hebrew word for “diligent,” חרוץ (ḥā•rûṣ, pronounced “khah-roots”), can also be translated “sharp.” It stems from a root implying decisiveness. The diligent are not double-minded. They avoid second-guessing themselves. King David, the father of Solomon, was commanded to “be sharp” (2 Samuel 5:24) when he heard a sound in the trees. He needed to act quickly and aggressively. The origin of the word “sharp” implies a cutting that cannot be reversed. Carpenters have an expression: “Measure twice; cut once.” This maxim alludes to the principle of planning and double-checking before the job is started.
Translation: forced labour
The Hebrew word for “forced labour,” מס (măs, pronounced “mas”), may be translated as “forced payment.” Taxes are forced on both the lazy and diligent. If the word “tribute” is read as meaning taxes, it may imply that those who are not slothful will pay less in taxes, not because they earn less, but because they look for legitimate ways to reduce taxes. As a tax accountant, I have found this to be true. Often with some effort, the taxes we pay can be reduced, legally.
Translation: Taxes
Whether the Hebrew word, măs, is read to mean taxes, a franchisee fee, or some other legal obligation, the sense is the same: Laziness brings with it undesired payments to unwanted masters. Those who are lazy are forced to do the unpleasant, because they’ve made whatever they do unpleasant. They cut themselves off from the community, because any community is always at work, and as Paul writes (2 Thessalonians 3:10), “If anyone is not willing to work then he should not eat.”
Indecision or Commitment
This text is a warning against the classic “flip-flop.” It suggests much is lost though indecision. In the business world, a “sharp” individual is someone intelligent, bright, and talented who focusses on his work. Such people are not always right in their decisions, but they take firm stands and either succeed now, or learn from their errors and succeed later.
In the business world, prolonged indecision is usually more costly than the wrong decision. In his book, The Seven Laws of Leadership, one of Charlie Tremendous Jones’ laws is: Make a decision and then stick to it, commit fully. Don’t then worry about it being the right decision, but make it right. Put all the effort into implementing the decision once taken. Make the outcome profitable, despite the costs.
- Memorize the text in your favourite Bible translation and think about it often.
- Learn to be a self-starter, rather than being forced to work by other people.
- Work is unavoidable. Learn to enjoy it. That, in itself, requires effort, as a skill to be developed and maintained.
- Don’t envy those in leadership. It took much effort to get there.
Which of these steps, if any, does Jesus want you to take now? Ask Him.
All else being equal, the harder people work, the higher they rise in responsibility, in management.
This proverb deals with two extremes: The ruler and the slave. But there are many postings or stations in-between. The text implies that management works harder than “labour.” So there’s a common maxim: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Ironically, those who want to take it easy, cannot. Those who try to avoid work are forced to work, usually in low-skilled, low-paid positions under constant supervision. Those who can successfully supervise such labourers need many skills; they add value to an organization and win promotions.
God makes work necessary, obligatory and ultimately satisfying and happy. Those who choose to avoid work, make themselves miserable and have work forced on them. Please note the caveat “all else being equal.” Really, it’s never equal. Here are two special situations.
First, immigrants (including my parents, fleeing communism in the late 1950s) must take on less desirable jobs. Refugees and immigrants who must toil at low-skill, low-paid work are not the subjects of this proverb.
Second, well-intended, but ill-conceived government welfare programs sometimes provide assistance to those shunning any sort of work. Sooner or later, government subsidies for laziness will run out. The truth behind this proverb will outlast these naive governments.
Translation: Diligent
The Hebrew word for “diligent,” חרוץ (ḥā•rûṣ, pronounced “khah-roots”), can also be translated “sharp.” It stems from a root implying decisiveness. The diligent are not double-minded. They avoid second-guessing themselves. King David, the father of Solomon, was commanded to “be sharp” (2 Samuel 5:24) when he heard a sound in the trees. He needed to act quickly and aggressively. The origin of the word “sharp” implies a cutting that cannot be reversed. Carpenters have an expression: “Measure twice; cut once.” This maxim alludes to the principle of planning and double-checking before the job is started.
Translation: forced labour
The Hebrew word for “forced labour,” מס (măs, pronounced “mas”), may be translated as “forced payment.” Taxes are forced on both the lazy and diligent. If the word “tribute” is read as meaning taxes, it may imply that those who are not slothful will pay less in taxes, not because they earn less, but because they look for legitimate ways to reduce taxes. As a tax accountant, I have found this to be true. Often with some effort, the taxes we pay can be reduced, legally.
Translation: Taxes
Whether the Hebrew word, măs, is read to mean taxes, a franchisee fee, or some other legal obligation, the sense is the same: Laziness brings with it undesired payments to unwanted masters. Those who are lazy are forced to do the unpleasant, because they’ve made whatever they do unpleasant. They cut themselves off from the community, because any community is always at work, and as Paul writes (2 Thessalonians 3:10), “If anyone is not willing to work then he should not eat.”
Indecision or Commitment
This text is a warning against the classic “flip-flop.” It suggests much is lost though indecision. In the business world, a “sharp” individual is someone intelligent, bright, and talented who focusses on his work. Such people are not always right in their decisions, but they take firm stands and either succeed now, or learn from their errors and succeed later.
In the business world, prolonged indecision is usually more costly than the wrong decision. In his book, The Seven Laws of Leadership, one of Charlie Tremendous Jones’ laws is: Make a decision and then stick to it, commit fully. Don’t then worry about it being the right decision, but make it right. Put all the effort into implementing the decision once taken. Make the outcome profitable, despite the costs.