Indulgent, Incompetent, or Industrious?

February 8, 2013 at 9:46 am | Posted in Ecclesiastes | 2 Comments
Tags: Christian employees, Christian workers, Christians in the workplace, commentary on Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 10, good employees, Sunday School lessons on Ecclesiastes

Some people work alone. Some people work “for themselves” (“self-employed”). But many people are what we call “employees.” They work for a company or an “employer.” Christians have a responsibility to be good workers or employees.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Ecclesiastes 10:16-17

Good employees are focused on work, not eating and drinking, which Ecclesiastes likens to signs of childishness. If you work for an employer beware of the problem of indulgence – the tendency of an employee to use his employment only for himself and not for his employer’s enterprise.

By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Ecclesiastes 10:18

Along with avoiding the problem of indulgence, we must also beware of the danger that we would be lazy and downright incompetent. It’s one thing to take your time and do a good job, but it’s another thing to take your time because you’re loafing.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Ecclesiastes 10:19

Most companies have a least one employee who is the “life of the party,” and because of his charismatic personality, even his employer thinks it’s cute, but, remember, as an employee your purpose is to make money for your employer.

Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Ecclesiastes 10:20

A good employee is not one that never questions his employer, but he is one that is discreet. The desire to be hardworking and to improve the company for which you work will help defeat the temptation to be indulgent (“Who cares? I just work here.”) and to be incompetent (so too much won’t be required of you).

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