Do We Work Too Much?

Some people don’t go above and beyond in their work. But some go overboard. God’s priorities help us find the balance.

Henry David Thoreau wrote in his book Walden: “Men labor under a mistake. The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost. By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book …” He then paraphrases Matthew 6:19, “Laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal.”

Thoreau continues, “It is a fool’s life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before.”

In Proverbs 23:4-5 we can begin to understand how God thinks of this matter. “Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

Why work?

What is the purpose of labor? What are we doing when we go to work? God has given most of us in the developed world the strength and ability to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads. Sometimes we must work long hours. And it isn’t always easy. We sacrifice time with our families, time to take care of our physical health and maybe even the time we need for spiritual concerns.

When Solomon states, “Will you set your eyes on that which is not?” he is essentially saying, you aren’t going to get true riches by working overtime. As Thoreau put it, we “labor under a mistake” when we set our hearts on monetary gain and vain desires.

Thoreau, the 19th-century American writer, continues, “Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them. Their fingers, from excessive toil, are too clumsy and tremble too much. … The laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day. … He has no time to be anything but a machine.”

Thoreau’s conclusions must seem unrealistic and pampered in much of the developing world. But he, like wealthy Solomon, had a message that resonates with those in materialistic, wealthy nations.

Solomon’s conclusion

What did Solomon say? And how did Solomon feel looking back on his life of wealth and material accomplishments?

He said all is vanity! These physical things are ultimately empty and lack lasting value.

He states in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11,“Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”

Christ offers us comfort when He reminds us that God clothes the fields and feeds the birds (Matthew 6:26-30). A person’s basic needs are a roof over his head, clothes on his back and food in his stomach.

So why do we in the developed world grasp for the latest gadgets and toys and entertainments? Can we not find enjoyment in simple things like reading a book or taking a walk around God’s creation?

Family lessons

What good is working so hard for your home when your home isn’t taken care of? My father spent my whole childhood traveling, working through and beyond a divorce, absent while his kids made some big mistakes.

My grandfather worked sunup to sundown. In the mines and in the neighborhood, he worked himself to death, never seeing any of his grandchildren. Solomon insists that the best thing in this physical, vain life is enjoying the fruit of our labors. What better fruit is there than to watch your family grow, physically and spiritually?

Christ told us not to put our priority on storing up riches that can be stolen, rust or decay. Of course, God wants us to work to provide for our family—even to provide an inheritance for our grandchildren (Proverbs 13:22). But ultimately, we cannot serve both God and money equally. If we devote our life to trying to achieve a better lifestyle than what God has provided us—neglecting God in the process—are we not essentially telling God what He gives isn’t good enough?

Priorities: going above and beyond without going overboard

I am not saying don’t work hard or don’t put in extra time at work. But we mustn’t sacrifice what is truly important for what we think might be important. We can lose both what is important and the financial goal if we aren’t careful.

What I have learned about myself is that the more I covet the job I don’t have or lose sleep over money, the more anxiety I have. The more anxiety I have, the more distant I feel from God. The more distant I feel from God, the harder it is to function at anything I do.

Do everything with all your heart and do everything the best you can. Don’t put your life or family in danger. Most of all, make time for God. He provides what we need by the abilities we are given. Going above and beyond is one thing. Going overboard in the pursuit of materialism is proud, vain and useless. The physical things won’t come with us to the Kingdom. Our character will.

John Columbo, 28, is married and has two small children. He attends the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.