What is the meaning of Proverbs 23:4? Do not wear yourself out to get rich • The verse opens with a clear prohibition against exhausting ourselves in pursuit of wealth. Scripture treats our bodies as gifts to steward, not to burn out for money. • Jesus cautions, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). • Solomon himself warns, “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil” (Proverbs 15:16). • Ecclesiastes echoes the emptiness of endless labor: “The sleep of the laborer is sweet… yet the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:12). • Hard work is commended (Proverbs 10:4), but obsession with riches distorts priorities, drains health, and crowds out devotion. • The command assumes wealth is not evil in itself; the problem is wearing yourself out—making riches your consuming aim instead of honoring God first (Matthew 6:33). Be wise enough to restrain yourself • Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and act accordingly. “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving” (James 3:17). It recognizes limits. • Restraint keeps legitimate desires from becoming idols. Paul says, “I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). • Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); it guards the heart when culture praises ceaseless hustle. • Proverbs pairs wisdom with restraint elsewhere: “The prudent see danger and take refuge” (Proverbs 22:3). Wisdom looks ahead, sees the trap of greed, and pumps the brakes. • To restrain yourself means setting godly boundaries on work, spending, and ambitions—remembering that “life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). summary Proverbs 23:4 calls us to refuse the rat race that exalts wealth above all else. Instead, we choose Spirit-given wisdom and self-control, protecting body, soul, and relationships. In doing so, we keep money in its rightful place as a tool for God’s glory, not a tyrant over our lives. |
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