Canaan Fellowship

Work, Rest, and Feeling Wealthy

Listen Later

Randy Losee presents a sermon on the biblical principles of work, rest, and wealth, emphasizing that a healthy balance between work and rest is key to feeling wealthy. He explores how work was created by God before the Fall but became difficult due to sin, and how trusting the Lord with our work can relieve anxiety. Throughout the sermon, he uses personal anecdotes from his work as a mechanic and references multiple scriptures to illustrate the importance of committing our work to God, avoiding dishonest gain, and observing a rhythm of rest.

Introduction & Key Themes

  • [00:00] Having a healthy balance of work and rest is key to feeling wealthy, as well as to healthy relationships with family and friends.
  • [00:45] By resting when God says, we acknowledge Him as our provider; by working when He says to work, we acknowledge Him as our Lord.
  • [01:16] The main reason work relates to wealth is that most of our wealth comes from work.

    • Work Before and After the Fall

    • [01:49] People were made for work by God before sin entered the world (Genesis 2:15).
    • [02:06] Work was made more difficult after sin (Genesis 3:17-19), introducing stress and thorns.
    • [03:02] Much of Randy’s thought on work and wealth is about avoiding the stress that Adam’s sin introduced.

      • Committing Work to the Lord

      • [03:22] Proverbs 16:1-3 teaches to commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
      • [03:48] A way to commit work to the Lord is by being attentive to Him while working, loving God and loving your neighbor.
      • [04:12] Psalm 37:3-5 similarly says to commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him.
      • [04:57] Meditating on “commit your work to the Lord” helps relieve stress by focusing on trusting God rather than worrying about the task.

        • Avoid Dishonest Gain & Be Content

        • [05:40] Psalm 37:16-17 says better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
        • [06:20] Contentment is relative; we should realize what we have is enough and not always compare ourselves to others.
        • [07:24] If we could see what we have now ten years ago, we might be surprised at our lack of gratitude.

          • Anxious Toil vs. Trust

          • [07:52] Psalm 127:1-2 warns against “eating the bread of anxious toil” and reminds us that God gives sleep to His beloved.
          • [08:32] Randy prays that anxious toil would not be in his diet and that God would help him not be anxious while working.
          • [08:58] He repeats Proverbs 16:3 and Psalm 37:5 in his head while working and prays, “God, I commit this work to you. Whatever I accomplish, God be glorified.”
          • [09:18] The fruit of our work is a gift from God, not entirely in our control, and it is good to have peace about that.

            • Personal Illustration from Mechanics

            • [09:33] As a mechanic, some days are productive and feel good; other days, bolts break, and work is frustrating.
            • [10:12] On hard days, you have to commit your work to the Lord and just do the next little task.
            • [10:50] Regardless of your work, there are good and bad days; both require trusting the Lord.

              • How Much Time to Devote to Work?

              • [11:04] There is no strict rule, but basic principles can be drawn from scripture.
              • [11:30] Psalm 127:1-2 shows sleep is important and should not be neglected.
              • [12:03] Proverbs 6:6-11 warns against laziness, saying a little sleep leads to poverty.
              • [12:44] Proverbs 24:30-34 repeats the same warning about a sluggard’s field.
              • [13:15] Exodus 20:8-11 commands working six days and resting on the seventh, a pattern from creation.
              • [13:55] The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:23-28), not man for the Sabbath.
              • [15:09] We are told to work six days, but not how long; it implies most daylight hours, but with time for family meals.

                • Conclusion

                • [16:20] Having wealth doesn’t make you feel wealthy; a balance of work and rest is key.
                • [16:29] Resting acknowledges God as provider; working acknowledges Him as Lord.
                • [16:47] Deuteronomy 8:11-20 warns against forgetting the Lord when wealth increases.
                • [18:17] The key verse is Deuteronomy 8:18: “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” This is the most important aspect of wealth.
                  • Scripture References
                  • Genesis 2:15
                  • Genesis 3:17-19
                  • Proverbs 16:1-3
                  • Psalm 37:3-5
                  • Psalm 37:16-17
                  • Psalm 127:1-2
                  • Proverbs 6:6-11
                  • Proverbs 24:30-34
                  • Exodus 20:8-11
                  • Mark 2:23-28
                  • Deuteronomy 8:11-20

                    • Generated by AI model deepseek-chat

                    The post Work, Rest, and Feeling Wealthy first appeared on Canaan Fellowship.

                    ...more
                    View all episodesView all episodes
                    Download on the App Store
                    Canaan FellowshipBy Canaan Fellowship