Don't Talk Your Dreams To Death

“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty” — Proverbs 14:23

The Value of Toil

“In all toil (labor) there is profit”

Diligent work always leads to a helpful result or profit for the worker. Most work is neither easy nor fun. However, it pays the bills and provides money for doing good and enjoying life.

Even if you love your job, you will still face unpleasant duties. For example, people who love gardening must still get dirty, sweaty, and dig through the soil if they want to harvest flowers or produce.

The Danger of Mere Talk

“Mere talk leads to poverty”

In contrast to hard work, talk without action leads to poverty. Idle talking does not pay the bills, and it has even gotten some people fired.

Grandiose (impressive but unrealistic) plans and slick presentations might impress others. However, they will not earn you a single cent if you do not put in the labor to make your dream a reality.

Talk vs. Action in the Business World

The most natural application of this verse is in the business world.

Years ago, in the early days of personal computers, I knew a man with big plans. He wanted to work with real estate agents to put pictures of houses on videodiscs (an early version of DVDs) along with sales information. He had a prototype system, a solid marketing plan, and gave enthusiastic presentations.

He constantly talked to everyone in the office about his ideas and the unlimited potential for profits. Unfortunately, he had one major problem: he never made a profit because he did not go out and talk to actual customers. He planned and talked his way to poverty, while other people made a profit from similar ideas through sheer hard work.

The world is full of poor creative geniuses and successful people of average intelligence. The key difference is not what they know, but what they actually do.

Applying the Principle to Spiritual Growth

This principle is especially important for our spiritual growth. Is your spiritual life the product of hard work, or is it just talk?

Some people talk constantly about “getting their life right” or “straightening up.” Yet, they still hang out with ungodly friends, feed their minds with bad things, and refuse to change. Others say they want to pray or study more, but they make the same excuses year after year. They talk about helping the sick, serving the needy, or getting involved in the church, but they never take action.

Conversely, some people realize their lives are displeasing to God. They see the bad consequences and decide to change their behavior. If they want a closer relationship with God, they make and follow a plan to study and pray. They take real action to connect with other Christians to build deeper fellowship.

If you want to have a rich and meaningful spiritual life, you have to work for it.

Scriptures to Consider

• Romans 13:11-14 – Awake and get busy.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 – Get busy with good things.
• Ephesians 5:14-17 – Wake up and make good use of your time.

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” — Proverbs 28:19 (NIV)

There is a common saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” How sad it will be for those who dream of a close relationship with God, a loving family, and a meaningful life, but fail because they only dreamed and never acted.