“Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded.” (Exo. 25:10)

The answer to “when” should you work with excellence and skill” is, “Always!” As followers of God we must work hard to excel at everything we do! 

“But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (2 Cor. 8:7 ESV)

Doing things with skill brings big rewards

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings;

 he will not stand before obscure men.” (Prov. 22:29 ESV)

“Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” (Dan. 6:3 ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

Therefore…

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Col. 3:23 ESV)

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…” (Titus 2:7 ESV)

Quote:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut. 8:18 ESV)

The purpose 

The above passage points out that God is the one who “gives the power to get wealth.” It also tells why He gives wealth, “that he may confirm his covenant”. By the way, Gods covenant is the agreement between two parties, God and us. There are two covenants, the Old Testament covenant and the New Testament covenant. The new covenant replaced the old. Jesus instituted the New Covenant at the passover meal, sealing it by His own blood when He died on the cross. Therefore, this is God’s covenant that we are given wealth to confirm and proclaim. 

Seek God first 

The key to having plenty always begins with God. Seek Him first in everything and you will not have to worry about wealth.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

Be careful!

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows..” (1 Tim. 6:9-10 NKJV)

Honor the Lord 

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Prov. 3:9-10 ESV)

Be faithful 

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” (Luke 16:11)

Tithe fully 

The following is the only place in the Bible where we are told to test God. 

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Mal. 3:10 ESV)

Give generously

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38 ESV)

Therefore…

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19 ESV)

Quote:

“The use of means ought not to lessen our faith in God, and our faith in God ought not to hinder our using whatever means He has given us for the accomplishment of His own purposes.” - Hudson Taylor

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you..” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)

Faith and fear are choices to choose between… choose faith!

Bad things happen from time to time to everyone, the Bible says so, “Both good and bad things happen to everyone...” (Eccles. 9:2). However, no matter what negative thing may happen to you, at that moment you are faced with the choice of how you’re going to react. You can react with fear or you can react with faith. Both faith and fear are choices to be made. In chapter three of the book of Daniel, three Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow down to the king’s image even though they we’re told they would be thrown into the furnace if they refused. Instead of fear they chose faith and trusted God, no matter what the outcome would be, good or bad. And, of course, we know how the story ended, God delivered them. But, the point to remember is they chose God regardless of how things looked and no matter what the outcome might be. Now, that’s faith. And, the Bible says we cannot please God without faith, (Heb. 11:6). Faith is believing God’s word over fear! No matter how things look. Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 as being “certain of what we do not see.” It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. It’s standing firmly on God’s Word no matter what. There are thousands of promises in the Bible covering all possible situations and needs. And they are all “Yes” for you (2 Cor. 1:20). When faced with any fearful situation, look up the related promises and stand firmly on them. 

A few examples of problems and Bible promises to stand firmly on

• When faced with financial trouble

 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

• When faced with disease, pestilence or pandemic

“I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.” (Psalms 91:2-8 NIV)

• When faced with uncertain future

 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you..” (Psalm 32:8)

• When someone turns against you

 “If God is for us who can be against us!” (Rom. 8:31)

• When fearful about anything at all

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

Quote:

“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, In a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear.” - John Newton

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matt. 15:8)

Being Religious vs being Born Again

There are so many “religious” people in the world and it can be very confusing trying to sort them out. I think you would waste a lot of time trying to. There is a difference between being “religious” and being “born again.” Someone put it this way, “Religion” is what man does to reach God, but “Jesus” is what God did to reach man. Jesus stated it this way in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And in John 3:3, He said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” In other words, there is only one way to God, and that is through faith in Jesus. 

Be wise and careful

You don’t want to go around judging people, yet you do need to practice a certain amount of caution with good sense. The Bible says, “Man looks on the outside appearance but God looks on the heart.” There has to be a changed heart in order for a person to be a Christian. 

Many fake Christians are fooled 

“Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matt. 7:22-23 NIV)

What the Bible says about fake Christians

• They follow man made rules - “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” (Isa. 29:13)

• They hate other believers - “Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark.” (1 John 2:9)

• They are detestable and disobedient - “They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good.” (Titus 1:16)

• They disobey God’s commands - “Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.” (1 John 2:4)

• They practice sin - “The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the Devil has been doing. No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God’s seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. This is how God’s children and the Devil’s children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.” (1 John 3:8-10)

• They do what is evil - “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” (3 John 1:11)

• They don’t obey what God says - “Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)

• They produce bad fruits – “You will recognize them by their fruits…” (Matt. 7:16)

Therefore…

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 ESV)

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Rom. 10:9-10)

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Quote:

“Let him then, who would be indeed a Christian, watch over his ways and over his heart with unceasing circumspection. Let him endeavour to learn, both from men and books, particularly from the lives of eminent Christians, what methods have been actually found most effectual for the conquest of every particular vice, and for improvement in every branch of holiness. Thus studying his own character, and observing the most secret workings of his own mind, and of our common nature; the knowledge which he will acquire of the human heart in general, and especially of his own, will be of the highest utility, in enabling him to avoid or to guard against the occasions of evil: and it will also tend, above all things, to the growth of humility, and to the maintenance of that sobriety of spirit and tenderness of conscience, which are eminently characteristic of the true Christian.” - William Wilberforce

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4 ESV)

Share what you have with others in need

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb. 13:16 ESV)

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 ESV)

It’s more blessed to give

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 ESV)

Therefore…

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 ESV)

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38 ESV) 

Quote:

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” - Augustine

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Prov. 18:10)

Look to the Lord

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chron. 16:11)

Read the Bible 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 ESV)

Get some sleep 

“For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their bed…” (Job 33:14-15 ESV)

Go to the house of God

“And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isa. 2:3)

Therefore…

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jer. 33:3 ESV)

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” (Psalm 25:9 ESV)

“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isa. 11:2 ESV)

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” (Psalm 23:3 ESV)

Quote:

“Of course God does not consider you hopeless. If He did He would not be moving you to seek Him (and He obviously is). What is going on in you at present is simply the beginning of the treatment. Continue seeking with cheerful seriousness. Unless He wanted you, you would not be wanting Him.” - C. S. Lewis

“He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:27 ESV)

By His resurrection from the dead He was declared to be the Son of God in power

“And was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.) Rom. 1:4 ESV)

He was raised from the dead so we could be born again

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV) 

“Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Rom. 4:25 ESV)

He was raised from the dead to provide eternal life to whosoever believes in Him

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26 ESV)

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV)

Therefore…

“More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom. 5:11 ESV)

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 6:8-11 ESV)

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Rom. 8:34 ESV)

Quote: 

“Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” - Watchman Nee

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13 ESV) 

Stand firm in one spirit

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:27 ESV)

Stand firm in faith against the devil’s schemes

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11 ESV)

“Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:9 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV)

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15 ESV)

Quote:

“Who stands firm? Only the one for whom the final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all these, when in faith and sole allegiance to God he is called to obedient and responsible action: the responsible person, whose life will be nothing but an answer to God's question and call.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 ESV)

God gives us the victory 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV)

Victory through self control

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor. 9:25 ESV)

Therefore..,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:1-2 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Quote:

“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” - Warren Wiersbe