Background Information

The Bible has many passages about hard work, wealth, and success, and some of the greatest are found in the book of Proverbs. Here are a few of the many passages related to those themes.

• Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. (Proverbs 10:4-5 NIV)
• Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28 NIV)
• Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11 NIV)
• The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. (Proverbs 14:14 NIV)
• All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23 NIV)
• The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5 NIV)
• Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV)

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares The Parable of the Bags of Gold also known as The Parable of the Talents.

Instructions

1. There is certainly a theme in Proverbs that a hard-working righteous person will be rewarded more than the lazy slackard.  Many of the mega-churches today preach what is sometimes called prosperity theology or the “prosperity gospel” in which blessings are expected by those who believe. Success in this world is the just reward of believing in God and supporting various ministries that are in need of financial support, the kind that can only be found from the donations of a large number of cheerful givers. There is a subtle message, and sometimes not so subtle, that if you are not successful, you are probably not working hard enough and are not faithful enough in supporting the church. This is certainly a popular message for those who are successful and want to minimize their possible feelings of guilt. It’s also a popular message for those who wish to have success and hold out hope that hard work and faithful giving and service will lead to both temporal and everlasting rewards.
2. But are those thoughts and feelings correct? Are they spiritually healthy?
3. Consider these questions and share your thoughts on them on the industry: Biodegradable Plastic bags
   1. What is the relationship between righteousness and success in business in the industry: Biodegradable plastic bags?
   2. Are some industries more suited to righteous leadership and management? Why?
   3. What is inherently right or wrong about trying to grow a successful and therefore profitable business in your industry(Biodegradable plastic bags)?
   4. Is business growth a gift, a task, or a reward? Why?