Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Discover the Best Bible Verses About A Man Not Working. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” God created us to work. However, not in a sadistic sense to do His bidding or face His wrath. His purpose for mankind to work was to subdue the Earth and have dominion over every living creature as we can read from Genesis 1:28. Likewise, we can say that all of life, culture and work is to reflect the beauty and gory of God Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth. This point is highly supported by the different Bible verses on work. In fact, it is a frequent theme across the Bible. Whether you are a pastor, entrepreneur, elementary teacher, construction worker, or a stay-at-home mom, work is deeply rooted in the goodness of God’s creation.

Genesis 2:15 highly supports the fact that work is good and pleasing before God. Behold, Jesus Christ Himself was a carpenter, and his earthly day, Joseph, was a carpenter, too. The Bible tells us that God the Father Himself went to the extent of getting His hands dirty when He made “man of dust from the ground” (Genesis. 2:15; cf. 1:28). If God worked, what more of us? Even today, He is still the one supporting the pillars of the universe. That is, He is still doing something which we can consider as work. Also, He knows and controls all things that happen. Not only did God command us to work, but, being created in His image as a Creator, we are hardwired with a desire to create -to work. However, this is not to say that we are able to create something out of nothing as God did.

Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Moving from creating a meal out of multiple ingredients to building a pretty nice house out of multiple materials, to varying degrees as God permeates, man can create. In the likeness of God, we can bring out order out of chaos. Genesis 1:1-2 says, “The earth was without form and void… And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Just as the Spirit of God Almighty brought order to creation, we too can bring order in the world we dwell in. Behold, it is a desire and matter of wanting it to be and going after it. Today, governments can establish an orderly way of life and commerce. Likewise, engineers can create order out of the systems that they develop. The Bible calls on all men to work.

What does the Scriptures say about Work?

Although we find work challenging, the Scriptures tell us that it is quite glorious. This brings forth many questions in our minds. That is, we are more likely to question why the Bible portrays work as glorious yet we find it challenging? Tragically, the goodness of work was tainted by sin. The Scriptures tell us that not only did sin enter the human heart through Adam’s rebellion, but sin has permeated the entirety of creation, including work.

How sin twisted work

In reading the different Bible verses about work, we realize that sin has corrupted the desire for the good work we were created to do. In addition, it has made work itself difficult (Genesis 3:17-19). Below are three different temptations that you are likely to face at work:

1. Worship work

The temptation to worship work as an idol is quite prominent in our midst. We are tempted to serve work gladly with long hours, bowing down to its demands despite the destruction it causes us and our families.

2. Twist work

We are often tempted to twist work. Are you feeling inclined to fudge the number on your sales quota? Are you being tempted to receive money under the table to push through a deal? Whatever type of work we carryout, we are always tempted to twist it with sin for one or more reasons. In most case, it is for our personal interest. But it ought not to be so. Jesus Christ came to redeem everything – including work (Col. 1:15-20). That is why whenever we are doing work, we should make sure that it is pleasing to God. Work is meaningless and useless when God is not involved.

3. Reject work

It is without doubt that we are regularly tempted to reject work. We turn to run away from work. We are more likely to embrace laziness: a little sleep, some more sleep, a good nap, more merry, feasting, and rest. Such is the path that leads to laziness. It ought not to be so. It’s high time for us to face it; working is difficult. Of course, you’ll have carefree days, but there are seasons when you’ll feel tired and defeated. Whether we find work too challenging, or are struggling with laziness and worship leisure and rest, we’ll wrestle with a desire to reject work outright.

Biblical facts about work

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ has taken the “thorns and thistles” we work among (Gen. 1:18). Also, He wore a crown of thorns on His head as a reminder that He is the Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 19:16). The crown of thorns that was prepared by the Roman soldiers and placed on Jesus’ head with the intent of mocking Him, turned out to be a picture of Jesus Christ as the one true King and sovereign ruler over Heaven and Earth. Jesus came to accomplish a redemption mission. Through faith in Him, our lives have been redeemed. He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin. In Him, we benefit God’s special gift of Eternal Life. Thanks to Christ, we’ve been saved from the Fire of Hell.

Stephen Nichols says, “Christ through his redemptive work undone what Adam did in the fall. And he restores to us the ability and the capacity to be image bearers as God intended us to be.” In the process of redeeming our work, below are three great ways we’ll find God at work in us and through our work in Scriptures about work:

1. Jesus Christ is our Boss

How do we work for our employers? Do we work for him or her as we work for Jesus? It is easy for our eyes of faith to become glassy at work, and forget who it is that we work for. Jesus may not be your crew leader. In fact, He may not even be physically sitting in an office watching your every move. Likewise, He may not be the one signing your check, but He remains the one you work for. With a deep understanding of this, Apostle Paul said “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). If you happen to find yourself frustrated, angry, or not compelled to do something your employer request of you, take a moment and pray. Seek God’s grace in Christ, and remember that you are working for Jesus Christ.

2. God works through your work

Behold, God is at work in your life and through your life in more ways than you can imagine. Even if you do not instantly see how the work you do benefits others, have it in mind that God has chosen to work through you, your skills, and experiences for the good of others.

3. You can trust God with your work

There are times we feel stressed at work. If you’ve never felt this way, then you’ve probably not worked for long. The workplace has several causes of stress. At work, we have crushing deadlines, conflicts with our co-workers or manager, or not compensated well for the work we do. Regardless of the cause of stress at work, we are free in Christ from anxiety and can fully trust God to meet our needs. God is able to justly work through us despite the happenings around. He never fails His own because He is all-faithful.

12 Wonderful Responsibilities God Has Given To Men

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Below are 10 wonderful responsibilities that God has given to men. Remember that these responsibilities are accompanied by great blessings.

1. To Work
Genesis 2:15 – “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

2. To be Courageous
Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

3. To be Strong
1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

4. To Love
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

5. To be a Husband
Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

6. To be the Head of his Wife
Ephesians 5:23-24 – “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

7. To Serve Sacrificially
Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.“

8. To be a Father
Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Proverbs 23:24 – “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.”

Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 – “And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,“

Proverbs 14:23 – “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

2 Thessalonians 3:10 – “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

1 Timothy 5:8 – “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.“

Proverbs 14:23 – “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

Group 1 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Matthew 25:14-30 – “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. …“

Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

Ephesians 4:28 – “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Group 2 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11 – “And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,”

Proverbs 22:29 – “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Proverbs 12:24 – “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.”

Genesis 3:17-19 – And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Group 3 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 – “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. ...”

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Proverbs 18:9 – “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.“

2 Timothy 2:15 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Group 4 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Psalm 90:17 – “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!“

James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.“

1 Timothy 3:2 – “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,“

Proverbs 12:11 – “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.“

Acts 20:35 – “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Proverbs 10:4 – “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Revelation 1:1 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,”

Group 5 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

John 6:27 – “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

ALSO READ Bible Verses About False gods/Idols

1 Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,“

John 5:17 – But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Group 6 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.“

Proverbs 20:13 – “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.“

Proverbs 10:4-5 – “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”

2 Peter 1:21 – “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 20:1-16 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ...”

Proverbs 31:21 – “She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.”

Group 7 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 6:7 – “Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,“

Galatians 6:4-5 – “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

1 Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.“

1 Timothy 6:17 – “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”

2 Thessalonians 3:12 – “Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Group 8 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.“

1 Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

John 17:4 – “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.“

Matthew 5:18 – “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.“

Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 6:4-5 – “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Group 9 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Ecclesiastes 2:24 – “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,“

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 – “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 – “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Ecclesiastes 3:22 – “So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?“

Group 10 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Proverbs 21:25 – “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.”

Proverbs 24:30-34 – “I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”

Proverbs 21:5 – “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”

Proverbs 31:1-31 – “The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. ...”

Proverbs 28:19 – “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”

Group 11 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Deuteronomy 24:14 – “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.”

2 Kings 2:23-24 – “He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.”

Group 12 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:6 – “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,”

1 Timothy 5:1-25 – “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, …“

James 1:2 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,“

1 John 4:8 – “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.“

James 1:2-3 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.“

Hebrews 6:10 – “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

Group 13 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

1 Timothy 4:10 – “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

2 Thessalonians 3:11 – “For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.“

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 – “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.“

1 Timothy 6:3-5 – “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.“

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 – “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.“

Group 14 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

2 Corinthians 13:11 – “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.“

Ephesians 4:17-24 – “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ...”

Colossians 3:23-25 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

Colossians 3:24 – “Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Colossians 3:22-24 – “Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Group 15 – Bible Verses About A Man Not Working

2 Corinthians 1:1-24 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ...”

2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

2 Corinthians 13:11 – “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.“

Group 16 – Bible Verses For A Man Not Working

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

1 Corinthians 12:25 – “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

1 Corinthians 9:7 – “Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?“

1 Corinthians 6:11 – “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”