Bible Verses Elon Musk Should Read (and why Overworking is Foolish)

Here’s a blog about why overworking is foolish and destructive. It also discusses the lessons from the life of Elon Musk.

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If there’s a real-life Ironman today, the closest that we have would be Elon Musk.

Why not? He is a billionaire. He owns two giant technological companies, SpaceX and Tesla. He is currently one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the world today. He even plans to colonize planet Mars and get his dead body buried there.

If you are not familiar with Elon Musk or who he is, better read this book, “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.”

Now, if there’s one word that can describe Musk, it would be the word, “workaholic.”

The man is just super high achiever – so high that he works insanely long hours. A recent interview with the New York Times reveals that he has been working 120 hours per week for the past few months!

Bible verses for elon musk and workaholics

To put that into perspective, an average person only works for 40 hours. This means that Musk is working three times more than most people. Remember that there are only 168 hours in one week, which leaves Musk 48 hours to do other stuff!

This isn’t something new about Musk. In 2010, Musk told entrepreneurs that if they want to be successful, they should be “extremely tenacious and then just work like hell. You just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week.”

He further explained that what other people can achieve in one month, you can achieve them in just one week if you just put in more hours.

Because of the stellar status of Musk, many entrepreneurs look up to him for advice, but they should be careful in what they imitate from Musk’s life.

Because of working too much, Musk’s job has put a toll on his health, marriage, and even productivity. It is worth noting that Musk has been married three times. When he is at home, his mind is still at work. When he is with his children, he still answers emails and calls.

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As Christians, we are encouraged to work hard and give our best in our work (Colossians 3:23). However, the Bible also warns us of the danger of working too much. We read in Proverbs 23:4-5:

Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!
Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

The wisest and richest king of His time gave us this timeless advice: “Do not overwork to be rich.” It tells us that there are other things more important than working yourself to death.

At times, I want to be super productive to the point that I’m working extended time each day. Now, there’s nothing wrong about that, but I begin to sacrifice the more important things in life during the process. I forget about prayer, bible study, and even quality time with my family.

I always remind myself with these words:

“I work to live not live to work.”

Jesus Christ or Yahshua our Messiah has this to say:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Christ is telling us that it is foolish to sacrifice your life to gain material wealth, but in the end, you will just lose all of them at the time of your death.

If only Musk reads these wise words from the Greatest Teacher of all time, he would be happier. Yes, he is among the wealthiest people on earth, but wealth does not automatically equate to happiness, blessedness, and spiritual richness.

Our bodies are simply not designed to work 24/7 or even work more than 100 hours per week. Doing this month after month and year after year will eventually lead to more disaster than good. Even at the beginning of human existence, God has already set aside a 24-hour rest for our body.

We read:

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3).

God, the master designer and creator of our body, intimately knows from the biggest organ to the tiniest cell, our biological makeup.

Overworking is simply foolish. It does not lead to greater good.

Though I desire for Elon Musk to read this, I’m not counting on it. He is probably in his office right now working. If he reads this, then good.

But you, who have read this blog, you are in a better position than Musk. Remember the wise counsel of God’s word. Though you might not become a billionaire, I’m sure that you will become more blessed and happier when you apply godly principles found in the Bible.

So, don’t overwork. There’s more to life than your job.

(P.S. I met a fellow blogger online and I found his website to be tremendously helpful. He writes a lot of great content and even shares other people’s blog to benefit his readers. Visit his website, Joshua’s Outpost, and obtain great biblical insights today!)


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