Are you working 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week?

What an ept title in this era of retrenchment n fear of losing one's job n income! Many people fear losing their jobs or businesses n they will work 24/7 to ensure they won't be retrenched or be beaten by competitors. Some workers r also forced by their employers to work 24/7 whilst their employers enjoy their rest on saturdays n sundays n public holidays. Others force themselves for fear of losing out even at the expense of rest n sleep.

Has anyone of u been criticised by non-believers n believers alike who say u r being lazy by trusting in Jesus and u should worry abt your future and work hard bcos God help those who help themselves, so they rightly claim to speak for God? Yes they will quote all sorts of scripture including those in Proverbs n Paul's epistles, which say "if anyone doesn't work or is lazy, that person can't eat" & all sorts of condemnation of lazy people in Proverbs? U can find plenty of condemnation of lazy people in many verses in Proverbs & elsewhere in the Bible. So they rightly claim they r on God's side.

I am not saying one doesn't work hard but to believe what these "righteous" people say is actually in disobedience of what God says. They r the ones who r not right with God as they are not trusting Jesus & Father God for their needs. What did Christ say in the Sermon on the Mount? Pls read the whole of Matthew 5-7. I will summarise certain pts below:

• DO NOT WORRY - "Therefore I (Jesus) say to u, do not worry about your life, what u will eat or what u will drink; nor about your body, what u will put on. Is not life more than food n the body more than clothing?" (v.25). Then Jesus goes on to say about the birds of the air & the lilies of the field-how Father God feeds them & clothes them. Then He said, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, w/c today is, & tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe u, O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH?" So who is the greater sinner here? The so-called 24/7 hardworkers or the so-called "lazy" shamers of Christ? Do u know what my sarcastic friend said: "Jia Hong Ka", w/c means eat Christian religion literally in Hokkien?!
• NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS - "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one & love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON(MONEY)!" (v.24) Do u know mammon is a powerful demon ruling in the heavenlies controlling the economics of this world & causing so much poverty & suffering among the poor? He is a terrible master to those who obey him, & Christians who are against him, he will bring all sorts of accusation & temptation to them to lure them away from God into idolatry of money & the pleasure it brings.
• DO NOT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL (v.19) - Isn't money made of paper where insects can bite & gold, silver, copper, tin etc are metals where rust can destroy? Also, there r so many robberies, thefts & kidnappings daily & these r targeted to the rich u know! Why do they need bodyguards then? Only in desperate situations, do u see a crazed robber beating up an old Ah Ma or child & stealing their watches, handphones etc.
• YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED - "But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (v.33)

What more or less can i say? Work hard but not to the expense of family, friendship, God & health. Don't profane the Sabbath. Or God will make sure you rest. Where? In hospital lah then where?!