Will God Get it Wrong? Where is the Line Between Hard Work & Trusting?
Sometimes readers send me emails and ask me questions. I do my best to answer them, or refer them to someone who can. But sometimes I have a question the same as someone who writes in.
Essentially the question is this…am I really trusting God to provide? Where is the line between hard work and trusting?
I tend not to worry about things. I just get it done. I work hard; two jobs right now. And money is still tight. Then I think about ways to make more money…maybe mowing lawns on the side…oh wait, I have been so busy that my lawn has not been mowed in 4 weeks. I should do that. Be right back.
Back. I took a shower as well. Weed eater is not working *sigh*…OK where was I?
Right…worry…money…trusting God. Things of that nature. So money is tight right now, it always seems to get tighter in the summertime, and wouldn’t you know it…the car just started acting up (not mention my weed eater). But I don’t worry about those things, because I trust that God will provide. Worry is the belief that God will get it wrong. Hmmmm…But what is working 70-80 hours per week at two jobs and never seeing your family in order to make ends meet? Is that not worry? Is that not self sufficiency? Am I trusting God to provide? Will God get it wrong?
No.
He won’t.
But how do we know where to draw the line?
Where do I draw the line between trusting and working hard? Where is the line between Bible texts like this:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you,O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ~ Matthew 6:25-34
and Bible texts like these:
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ~1 Timothy 5:8
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
If I don’t work this much, humanly speaking, we won’t make our mortgage. Yes God will provide, but money doesn’t usually drop out of heaven. Maybe he has provided me with two jobs? If so, then I must work this much. BUT by working this much I don’t see my family very much or my church friends. SO…if I make a teeter-totter and put my calling to provide for my family on it…that teeter-totter is leaning heavily on the “providing financially for my family” side of the teeter totter, and is really really light on the “spiritual/emotional/just being there for them” side.
So these are the thoughts going through my head, and apparently a reader has similar thoughts, but I have no answer. Well. I do. A man needs to be there for his family, he needs to provide himself, as much as he provides financially. But this is the struggle in my head.
So…Where is the line? I value your input.
(And yes I tend to over think everything.)
I find that often my problem is in how quickly I commit to new responsibilities, obligations, and debts without fully taking the time to count the cost of such endeavors. Sin often leads me to over-working, and while God is faithful to meet our needs He is also keen to discipline me (by His Holy Spirit) for taking on more than I should. Honestly, I don’t think there is a dichotomy between working hard and trusting in God. There are many who do no work at all and still don’t trust in God (they trust in the State). When I find myself over extended (I am, after all, a mere mortal in a sinful body), I repent and pray for wisdom in how I might dial back my lifestyle. Not an instant fix by any means, but it leaves room for the Peace that passes all understanding to guard my heart from fear, worry, and anxiety. God bless you and yours, brother.
Thanks Faithful. I think the issue for me is that I was not blessed with a father who provided either way. I have had to learn this myself. Also, my wife brings up a good point, that this is a kind of grey area. I like Black or white, so when things are not explicitly laid out…I dont like that. Thanks for the response!
So what would happen if you asked someone who has all the answers – you know he/she is out there. 🙂 or should that be 🙁
I’m sure we’ve all done this – “I don’t get it, [name] is always short of cash, yet smokes/travels/goes to movies/concerts/buys new shoes every week/etc.”
What if one were to speak to “that guy/gal” to see what they might suggest. Then I wonder what my justification for any of these “things” would be, because I know I would have them. “we work hard for that vacation to Micronesia, and there’s nothing wrong with an all inclusive trip to a warm location. Others do it, why can’t I”
We need to reflect on our values and desires, are we acting too much like the world? We have worked to set a “nest egg” aside, perhaps not enough, perhaps too much, but it doesn’t matter, when I look back it seems that many times the family needed $500 that month but only had $400, yet somehow there was a zero balance. I have yet to figure out how that worked, very possibly it was my poor accounting skills, but I don’t really know, all I know is that the bills had been paid, we had what we needed as a family, and God had again provided.
Even today I often wonder, what are the excesses that others might feel I have, perhaps my vision has been skewed and knowing what another might believe (Suggested in a loving way) would help me reflect, answer, and be a better follower of Christ.