Proverbs 16:26

He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
– Proverbs 16:26

This proverb fits in the broad category of diligence and hard work. It is also among the proverbs I call wise observations. The craving mouth stand for the bodily appetite for food. Our basic needs and appetites compel us to labor. The proverb prompts at least two considerations pertaining to work. First, the hunger is real and only real work will feed it (Proverbs 14:23). Second, the hunger is real and pressing but the satisfaction is only temporary (Ecclesiastes 6:7). If we think about work wisely, we understand the place it should be in, what it can do, and what it cannot do.

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