Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
Micah 3:11-12

Judges judge for a bribe.
Priests teach for a price.
Prophets tell fortunes for money.
As Christians, how we choose to make a living is key to our relationship with God. Two job opportunities present themselves to you. Both pay the same. One job is easy and requires little effort. The other job is demanding and laborious. Which job do you take? The easier job, right? Why work harder if you are getting paid the same? Well, for our faith and salvation, the arduous occupation might be the better choice! In other words, what’s easy and comfortable might not be the right job for you.

When we accept God and become believers, God blesses us with more intelligence, and He adds to our talents. He does this because living a new life without sinning or compromising requires more skill and talent. Before believing in God, we didn’t have God or His commands holding us back. Keeping His commands (no lying, stealing, cheating, keeping the Lord’s Day holy, etc.) never entered into the equation. In other words, we were unbridled and unchecked. Believing nobody would ever know what we were thinking and doing, we could do dubious things to get ahead and never think twice about it. But once we believe in God, we play by different rules. Hence, God gives us more talent and intelligence to make a good living without resorting to sin.

Problems arise when we misuse this newfound intelligence and talent. God blesses us with added aptitude so that we can succeed while being good Christians; however, instead of using this newfound talent to keep up with our faith, we use it to make money and be successful in worldly terms. We use everything God blesses us with to better our careers, make more money, and we forget about God. It’s so easy to forget about God and how He has blessed us when things are going so well. We end up selling out God. We betray Him, our faith, and our church. We abuse the added gifts God gives us to do all the wrong things.

Even when making these bad choices, we look for Lord’s support and hope the “Lord is among us.” How many of us have done the wrong things, made all our choices without even thinking of God, but as an afterthought and guarantee, prayed to God for it to work out? We hope disaster will not come upon us, but “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble.” Like Zion, we will be plowed like a field. Like Jerusalem, we will become a heap of rubble. How do we avoid this fate? How do we choose occupations that will lead to blessing, not turn us into heaps of rubble? We must be prudent in the way we make a living.

It begins with a mindset. After God blesses us with more intelligence and talent, it’s easy to become lazy and look for the easiest way to make a living. As parents, what kind of profession do you want your children to have? If you are looking for an easy job that pays a lot, you are setting up your children to fail. If you are looking for a job that requires minimum effort for a paycheck, you are setting up your children to fail. Easy money should never be the standard. The quick way out should never be the standard.

What kind of jobs should Christians seek? With the same pay, should we choose the easier job or the job that requires more effort? Should we choose an occupation that makes us comfortable and lazy or the occupation that gives us some level of heartache and angst? We must choose the latter. Sin runs amok in easy and lax places. Let me say that again. Sin runs amok in easy and lax places. When we give our blood, sweat, and tears, we grow as human beings. We become more complete and whole. Therefore, avoid choosing something that is easy and profitable. Choose a line of work that challenges you and makes you work. Choose an occupation where you work hard while keeping your faith. 

Repeat after me:

Her leaders judge for a bribe!
Her priests teach for a price!
And her prophets tell fortunes for money!
Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say!
Is not the Lord among us!
No disaster will come upon us!
Therefore because of you!
Zion will be plowed like a field!
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble!

If you are Christian looking to make money with the least amount of effort or seek disproportionate rewards, you are on your way to destruction. Use the talent God has given you to earn a good living without compromising your faith. Don’t become someone who teaches for a price or tells fortunes for money. With the talents God bestows upon you, get work that will keep you honest and fortify your relationship with God!

Summary
1. God gives us extra intelligence and talent to make a living while keeping your faith.
2. Don’t use this added talent to focus on money and forget about God.
3. Don’t search for the easy/no effort job.
4. Choose an occupation that makes you work hard and become a better person.

Click for Korean sermon

Click for English reading https://youtu.be/s7WgYtBHs-g