Proverbs 23:4 NKJV
Do not overwork to be rich. Because of your own understanding, cease!
There are times we need to extend ourselves – go a little further. Then we have to take some extra rest to regroup. Jesus and His disciples did that. John tells of how Jesus missed lunch once to minister to a Samaritan woman. These are the exceptions, not the rule. However, Solomon said that if we are going to work more than normal for a reason, the reason should not be to get rich. In other words, we should never overextend ourselves unnecessarily just to get more than we need. Acquiring wealth just for the sake of wealth is a foolish thing to do. After getting what we need to exist, getting more should be our aim, but not just for selfish reasons. Our goal should be to have the ability to advance God’s Kingdom and to bless others. We should want to have enough to be able to come and go as the Lord directs without being concerned about basic needs. Oh yes. We should want to have an abundant supply, but not to heap it upon ourselves. When we have the right heart, God will bless us to be a blessing. He who gives seed to the sower will enable us to have more than enough without overworking ourselves. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The hard old way is the wrong way. God will not tolerate laziness, but He does not want our lives consumed with work where we have no time to serve Him and bless others. We will find the right balance when we get understanding in this area.