WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

Pondering the Principles of Proverbs

New International Version
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

New Living Translation
Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.

English Standard Version
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

New American Standard Bible 
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

King James Bible
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches. 


                                                                                            (Proverbs 10:4)

---

The verse quoted above and rendered by the various translations makes me feel foolish that I even have to say anything about it.

Something MUST be said, however, because it appears that this truth is not being taught to the younger generation. (Before you turn me off thinking I'm just going to grouse about "today's kids," give me a chance, PLEASE.)

Someone has got to teach it, and I think it may fall to the grandparents who now have the influence.

I find it interesting that we taught our kids (I'm referring to us 'baby-boomers'), and they learned to work hard at their chosen endeavor and to succeed. But they have failed to teach it to our grandchildren.

(This may be difficult for some to grasp, because, like mine, their grandkids have not yet graduated high school.)

Maybe I'm a generation off.

Anyway, I'm talking about the current group of young adults who have entered the job market in the last 10 years.

By and large, as a group, they deal with a "slack hand" when it comes to their work ethic.

              Personal Anecdote
A young man in our church was sent to manage a Gap store to see if he could help turn it around. He said he found an employee sitting on the counter playing games on his cell phone. When asked why he wasn't working, he said, "I am. There's nothing to do." The manager looked around at all the clothes that were not hung back up properly. He looked at the shelves of pants just stuffed back in place.

              Personal Anecdote
A member of my immediate family was, until recently, a manager of a well-known "big box" department store. He worked in that capacity in Missouri, Tennessee, New York, and Pennsylvania. His complaint was usually about the labor pool, and how there were not enough good people to hire. "They all want a job, but no one wants to work."

               Personal Anecdote
In my area, I have shopped numerous stores where it becomes painfully obvious that I am an interruption as a customer. In one, the girl was standing at the register with her phone, looked up at me, sighed, and put her phone down without ever saying a word to me.

Unless something happens to change their direction, these people will either always be working for minimum wage or they will be our next welfare recipients. Without question, they will be among the ranks of the poor.


What was missing in each of those scenarios was the concept of diligence.


Diligence is a character trait. They do not possess this particular trait.


Some might say, "Well they don't pay me enough to do that sort of thing." Of course not. You won't DO that sort of thing.


This particular planet that we all live on works from the principle of "sowing and reaping." In other words, we must be what is called 'pro-active.'


In other words, they will pay you more when you work more. Until then, you are only worth what they are paying you.


In the International Research Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, I found this title:
Disciplined character: A re-emerging quality for graduate employability in Ghana
The abstract has this telling conclusion:
"Impliedly, in modern Ghana, during a keenly competitive recruitment, employers would emphasize disciplined character of graduates, but students were ignorant of this trend."


The introduction is a very powerful statement about the research and what they found about the necessity of character. (You can read it by clicking on the tab at the top of this blog titled "Character in the Workplace.")

The following quote should be taught to every high-school student everyday for their entire four-year tour of duty.
                                             Employability is composed of a set of achievements, skills, 
                                             understandings and personal attributes that makes 
                                             graduates more likely to gain employment and be 
                                             successful in their chosen occupations (Yorke and 
                                             Knight, 2006). In this sense employability is not just about 
                                             getting a job, it is about keeping it. 
(Quoted from http://interesjournals.org/IRJASS/pdf/2013/April/Blasu%20and%20Kuwornu-Adjaottor.pdf Aug. 18, 2013)

This proverb, ancient as it is, still holds true for those in America who want to work and be able to pay their bills and live comfortably.
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.


All comments, questions, and/or criticisms are welcome. They will be posted immediately without the necessity of approval.

If you haven't already, sign up to have these studies FREELY delivered directly to your inbox. The link is just above the picture of the ugly guy who writes this stuff. Your e-mail address is safe with me, and will NEVER be given, sold, rented, or otherwise distributed to anyone else. Nor will I use it to solicit you by any other means. You will have the option to opt out of receiving the e-mails with each and every posting.