REFUSE THE POVERTY OF “WRONG LABOURING” FROM COMING UPON YOU!

PROVERBS 23:4

“Labour not to be rich: Cease from thine own wisdom.”

HEAR THIS:

• You need to have restraint in working, in labouring.

• You need not to be anxious and try to get rich quick because when you're anxious you put your hands in all the wrong things.

Yea, we are supposed to labour that we may have enough to support ourselves and our families and also to give to others;  and if possible to lay up for our children. But then, we should not toil unnecessarily and wear ourselves out in order to heap riches when we don't know who we are gathering it for!

SO: ...

• Don't labour to be rich,

• Cease from your own wisdom

Rather,

• We should learn to labour for durable riches :: that we can lay up treasures in heaven.

• Let us seek those things which are above and labour to please the Lord; labour to be accepted by the Lord by doing the will of God.

• We should cease from walking in worldly wisdom in getting rich. It is God that gives us the power to get wealth. We are not to labour unnecessarily in order to be rich.

• Let us not raise schemes and form projects, invent things and ways to manipulate riches into our hands, ‘for bread is not always to the wise nor riches to men of understanding.’ [Ecclesiastes 9:11]

KNOW THIS:

• It's God who gives the opportunity.

• It's God who shows mercy.

• It's God who favours.

Yes, we are to work; but we are best suited to labour in the word of God than to labour wherein  to be rich.

DO THIS:

• Cease from your own wisdom !

• Cease from your own understanding because your own understanding will lead you astray !!

So that's what the Scripture is encouraging us here. It says, ‘labour not to be rich.’

HEAR THIS:

• Don't overwork to be rich because of your own understanding.

• Don't weary yourself to gain wealth.

• Cease from your own wisdom, your own understanding.

• Learn to show restraint.

Proverbs chapter 28 verse 20 says:

“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.”

KNOW THIS:

When you are making haste to be rich, you will put your hands in the wrong things.            

But a faithful man, a man that obeys the word of God, a man that has understanding, that walks in the wisdom of God, … God will show him the way to go to profit.

So, ...

• Don't labour to be rich.

• Don't overwork.

• Cease from your own understanding.

• Do that which God has commanded you to do.

The Scripture says in that Proverbs chapter 28 verse 22

“He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, And considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.”

When you are making haste to be rich, certainly you will start manipulating! You will start devising, you will start cheating!! You will start doing all kinds of things in order to succeed in being rich.

So that's what it's saying here: ‘He that hasted to be rich hath an evil eye.’

Don’t start looking for ways to get rich quick!  Let your eyes always remain single, not evil!

So, ...

• Don't labour to be rich.

• Seek the face of the Lord.

• Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all that the Gentiles are running after will become added to you.

God knows that which you desire; He knows what is good for you! God knows how to meet us at the point of our desire when we walk in His way.

But, let’s See this parable in Luke chapter 12 verse 15. See also the advice, and   the counsel of the Lord to one of the company that came to seek his face concerning dividing the inheritance with his brother.

Look at the advice Christ gave in that Luke chapter 12 verse 15:

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Verse 16: “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:”

Verse 17: “and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?”

Verse 18: “And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.”

Verse 19: “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

CATCH THIS: 

What this rich man said here —

• That was all his purpose of labouring to be rich.

• That was all his purpose for being covetous, for accumulating riches  … for no other purpose, just to eat, to drink, and be merry.

BUT That's not the purpose God has given us wealth. 

God give wealth and plenty for us to take care of ourselves and our family, to give to the less privileged and for the advancement of His kingdom! .

But this rich man said, ‘Oh, I have a lot now; much goods laid up for me, laid up for many years for me. Let me drink, eat, drink, and be merry.’

And look at what God said in that Luke chapter 12 verse 20.

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

Verse 21: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

HEAR THIS:

• Labour not to be rich for self on this earth !

• Learn to be rich towards God !!

• Learn to do that which will please God !!!

That's why the Scripture tells us in the Gospel of John chapter 6, verse 27, It says : 

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

So, …

• Labour in the word of God.

• Labour in obedience.

• Labour to fulfil purpose.

• Labour to do that which God has commanded you to do. Don't labour to be rich.

• Cease from your own understanding so that you will not perish with the riches you have laboured for.

• Labour to walk in the will of God.

• Labour to study to show yourself approved;  a workman who needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God.

So labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.

• Labour to remain in obedience to the word and love of God. “For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”   [Ref. : John 3 : 16]

• Press unto perfection.

• Press in obedience so that the Lord will receive you in all you do.

• Labour to abide in the truth and walk in the truth.

1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 8 says:

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Remember that godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and certainly we are carrying nothing away from this world.

So he continued in that 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 9, he said:

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

Verse 10: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

SO KNOW THIS:

• When you are busy labouring to be rich, you will certainly err from the faith, and you will find yourself piercing your soul through with many sorrows; you will not be innocent.

• When you are labouring to be rich, you’ll put your hands in all kinds of things in order to make it.

So labour not to be rich, cease from thy own understanding.

That's why the scripture tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 17:

‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;’

God has given us all things richly for us to enjoy.

So, ...

• Don't labour to be rich.

• Be content with what you have which God has put in your hands. ‘For godliness with contentment is great gain.’ 

• Cease from thy own understanding, because your understanding will put you in trouble. Understanding outside the will of God will put you in trouble.

That's why the Scripture advises us to : ‘Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thy own understanding.’ [Ref.: Proverbs 3: 5]

So, ... 

• Don't labour to be rich,

• Cease from your own understanding,

• Cease from your own wisdom.

• Learn to acknowledge God in all your ways, so that He will continue to direct your paths in righteousness. For in righteousness shall thou be established.

And as you do these, remain blessed in Jesus' Name, Amen!