Appetite toils; hunger energises 16:26 The labourer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on
This proverb is very practical. Two men go to dig a field, one foolish, one wise. The fool starts digging but is soon peckish so downs tools to get something to eat. In fact every half hour he heads back to his sandwich box or the café for another bite. By morning's end his work is hardly begun. At the same time the other man is practically finished because, though he has felt hunger pangs all morning, he has kept working. His appetite has worked for him. The nearer lunch came, the harder he worked. What seemed a disadvantage he turned into an advantage.
Of course, we ought to have higher goals when we work such as thinking of how we can help others with our wages and serving the Lord himself (Cf Ep 4:28, 6:7). Jn 6:27 is apposite 'Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.'
A minister mentioned in the book More than notion used to be ashamed of himself spending so much of his morning in the study thinking of dinner. He would sometimes punish himself by going without. One sympathises. However with some tasks and on some days this is all the motive we can muster. When dealing with children, we certainly must try to give them little encouragements to keep them going. Even the laziest can be coaxed in the right direction.
In the world of boxing and beyond the expression they will say a person is 'not hungry enough' to win. Similarly, others are said to be driven. Perhaps the saddest situation is where hunger drives but opportunities are few. It is clear from Jesus’ ministry that what drove him was a desire to do his Fathers’ will. It was his food and drink (Jn 4:34 'My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'). If we had an appetite for serving God we would find a lot more useful things getting done.
This proverb is very practical. Two men go to dig a field, one foolish, one wise. The fool starts digging but is soon peckish so downs tools to get something to eat. In fact every half hour he heads back to his sandwich box or the café for another bite. By morning's end his work is hardly begun. At the same time the other man is practically finished because, though he has felt hunger pangs all morning, he has kept working. His appetite has worked for him. The nearer lunch came, the harder he worked. What seemed a disadvantage he turned into an advantage.
Of course, we ought to have higher goals when we work such as thinking of how we can help others with our wages and serving the Lord himself (Cf Ep 4:28, 6:7). Jn 6:27 is apposite 'Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.'
A minister mentioned in the book More than notion used to be ashamed of himself spending so much of his morning in the study thinking of dinner. He would sometimes punish himself by going without. One sympathises. However with some tasks and on some days this is all the motive we can muster. When dealing with children, we certainly must try to give them little encouragements to keep them going. Even the laziest can be coaxed in the right direction.
In the world of boxing and beyond the expression they will say a person is 'not hungry enough' to win. Similarly, others are said to be driven. Perhaps the saddest situation is where hunger drives but opportunities are few. It is clear from Jesus’ ministry that what drove him was a desire to do his Fathers’ will. It was his food and drink (Jn 4:34 'My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'). If we had an appetite for serving God we would find a lot more useful things getting done.
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