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Hebrew Teachings of Wisdom

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Teachings of Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness
By: John Cleveland

Throughout the Bible, we see the importance of being diligent in our walk with Christ as oppose to falling asleep and becoming lazy. As followers of Christ, we know that by applying the knowledge given to us from the Bible can have a profound impact on our lives. When we study God's Word, we receive wisdom and we are then able to use this wisdom in our daily lives. However, if we choose to not be diligent in our walk with Christ, then we could possibly backslide as a result of being lazy and falling into deeper sin. In this essay we will look at what the Hebrew teachings say about diligence as oppose to being lazy regarding our following of Christ. In discussing what the Hebrew teachings have to say about diligence and laziness, we will be looking in the Bible from the book of Proverbs. The author of Proverbs, Solomon, asked and received wisdom from the Lord and he teaches us a lot about diligence and how it differs from laziness. He shows us the importance of being diligent. Solomon states that, “a sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4) When we are constantly seeking after more wisdom, we are not left empty. Our diligence reaps reward because the knowledge we receive helps us in every aspects of our life. Feeding off of God's Word gives us strength to face the challenges in our lives. Solomon states, “hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13) The Bible is our foundation for how to live our lives. As Christians we are obligated to follow the teachings of the Bible in every way of our lives. The Bible says that, “those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.” (Proverbs 28:19) Constantly

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