Workaholism And Riches

Bible Reading:  Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 4   – “I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:”

Key Words: I made me great works

Notice all that Solomon worked for: housing, plants, vineyards, gardens, orchards, trees, pools, servants, maidens, great possessions, silver, gold...then he says in verse 9, “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem” but he closes out the thought by saying in verse 11, “...and there was no profit under the sun.”

 

Wayne Oates, a long-time professor at Southern Seminary, introduced the world to “workaholism.” It was a word he coined in a 1968 article for Pastoral Psychology. A more recent discussion of the subject helps to further define the different types of workaholics. 

• Identity Workaholic: work defines your life, so your best energy is spent there. 
• The Perfectionist: long hours are required to make every task flawless. 
• Approval Seeker: work piles up because you fear saying “no” to others’ request for your time and energy. 
• Situational Workaholic: long hours are perceived as only a temporary situation that will soon pass – there is always another situation looming, though. 
• The Escapist: work provides an escape from painful relationships or other problems. But it’s the last workaholic that I think sums up best both Solomon’s and the world we live in that includes “most” born-again believers and that is... 
• The Materialist: an insatiable desire for possessions drives you to increase your workload. 

Workaholism has many faces, and we may be guilty of hiding behind one or more of them. 

Larry Burkett once said, “Focusing on material things is the greatest danger we face. What makes it so normal today is that virtually everyone in America is doing it.” 

 I trust today that God will give you victory over materialism.

                                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞ Honestly evaluate your life to see if you are caught up in this materialistic jungle of loving things. You can tell by asking and honestly answering the following: 1. Do you get more excited about the things of the world or the things of God? 2. Do you give your tithe and offerings faithfully or do you use them for other things? 3. Do you get more excited about getting things or giving to God? 

Now you know. The question is: what are you going to do about it?