Good Planning and Hard Work lead to Prosperity

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Prov. 21:5 NLT)

Many years ago, there was a popular selling trend sweeping across America called multi-level marketing, and it was used to sell everything from laundry soap to vitamins and even cookware. It was everywhere, and people kept inviting me and everyone else they could think of to their homes to hear a presentation. I remember being tricked into attending them a few times. Someone would invite me over without telling me it was to hear a sales pitch. But eventually I got suspicious of all invitations and would say, “What is this about? Is this a multilevel thing?

Other people were getting suspicious of the invitations too

I remember overhearing someone talking to my father-in-law about coming over to their house for the evening. And he asked them if it was to hear a presentation.They admitted it was, but proceeded to tell him how rich it would make him. But he said, “No thank you! I make my money the old-fashioned way; I work for it!” He obviously understood the proverb at the top: “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Benjamin Franklin obviously knew what the Bible taught, too, and wrote, “Haste makes waste,” in his Poor Richard’s Almanac. He understood that shortcuts are not the way to achieve success.

More proverbs on the subject

“Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Prov. 10:4)

“The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.” (Prov. 13:4)

“Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.” (Prov. 19:2)

Therefore

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” (Prov. 10:4 KJV)

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” (Prov. 13:4 KJV)