I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 24:30-34
Poverty Will Come Upon You Like a Thief
Many Christians in the modern age view the act of investing for capital gain as greedy. These sincere believers consider the acquisition and management of assets, like land — or a vineyard — little more than chasing after riches, which equates to the love of money.
Here is the bare truth; the writer of this proverb is hardly applauding this particular vineyard owner for being Godly. Instead, he calls this owner a sluggard, and one who has no sense.
This proverb illustrates a brutal truth. If we don’t manage our money wisely and tend our own vineyards, so to speak, poverty will come upon us like a thief.
Laziness comes in all sorts of shapes. For instance, it is quite conceivable that the sluggard in this proverb has been unable, or unwilling, to tend his vineyard because he is too busy busting his gut to earn a salary at his day-job.
Looking at my own life, I have never thought of myself as a lazy person. But here’s the rub. I often find myself so busy trying to earn a living that I simply don’t have the time or energy to tend to an investment portfolio — my vineyard. When I get home after a long, hard day at the office, the last thing I want to do is manage my stock portfolio or rental properties.
Then I am reminded of this proverb and it spurs me on. I am reminded that my ‘vineyard’ needs tending; otherwise, poverty will come upon me like a thief.