The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph.
1 Kings 11:28 (WEB)
Jeroboam was put in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph because he was industrious. He was a hard-working, diligent man who did his job well. He took pleasure in his work, and this was so evident to Solomon that he promoted Jeroboam to a position of power.
Jeroboam is a good example of the value of hard work. When we’re steadfast and skilled in our work, we will find more opportunities are available to us. Options open up to us because of our hard work and because others recognize our abilities and determination. Those who do their job well will be rewarded for it in time – if not here, then eternally.
It’s important for us to realize that when we work, we’re not working for men. We’re working for the glory of God. We should work as if Jesus is our boss. We should do what would please Him. In this way, we’ll bring honor to God’s name and lay a foundation for our future.
In reading the story of Jeroboam, it’s clear that his hard work laid the foundation for his future as well. Solomon recognized him, and God recognized him as well. If you read through chapters 11 and 12, you’ll see that he was given ten of the tribes of Israel. While it seems that Jeroboam did not continue in the ways of the Lord, he at least began by following God’s call to hard work. And it was that hard work that was rewarded.
How has your hard work been rewarded? How have you kept your focus on eternal rewards when your hard work has not been rewarded? Let me know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in:
- Personal Finance Bible Study: Work (Part 4 of 15) – Bringing Honor to God
- Personal Finance Bible Study: Work (Part 1 of 15) – Made to Work
- Personal Finance Bible Study: Work (Part 5 of 15) – Gaining Wealth to Honor God
- Personal Finance Bible Study: Work (Part 2 of 15) – Called to Work
- Personal Finance in the Bible: Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:26 PM
The scripture that comes to my mind is Col 3:23 that basically says whatever you do, do it heartily unto the LORD and not to men.
Lakita (PFJourney)´s last blog ..Along the Journey Weekly Roundup #1 “New” Edition
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:26 PM
Yes, that’s another good verse, Lakita. It teaches the same principle I discussed above. It can also be a very difficult principle to follow if you don’t enjoy your work or have a boss or co-workers that are hard to work with. Thanks for sharing!