Proverbs 28:19
We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of something (a project, a job, a commitment) and then something else catches your eye. Something that looks easier. More exciting. More profitable. Before you know it, you’ve abandoned what you were doing and jumped ship to the new thing.
If you’re anything like me, this isn’t a once-in-a-while problem. It’s a pattern. Distraction, the pull of the “shiny object,” the fantasy that the grass is greener somewhere else…these are battles I’ve fought throughout my professional and creative life.
What Scripture Says About It
In my study today, I landed on a verse that stopped me in my tracks:
“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.”
Proverbs 28:19 (NIV)
King Solomon, through God’s wisdom, draws a sharp line between two kinds of people: those who work what’s in front of them and those who run after what isn’t. And the outcomes couldn’t be more different: abundance versus poverty.
The Farm in Your Backyard
Think of it like this. Imagine you have a farm in your backyard that’s responsible for feeding your family. If you prepare the land, plant the seed, water it, and tend to it faithfully, you’re going to have a harvest. In fact, I’ve never met anyone with a home garden who could eat everything they grew. There’s always an overflow; enough to share with neighbors, enough to bless others.
Now imagine you stop tending that farm. Maybe your neighbor rolls up in a new truck, talking about some online business that’s “easy money.” It looks exciting. It looks effortless. So you leave your garden and chase that opportunity…except you don’t have the skill set, the experience, or the connections to make it work. You come up short. And when winter comes, you’ve got nothing. No harvest from your own land, no income from the fantasy, and no abundance to share with anyone.
That’s the picture Solomon is painting. And it hits close to home.
Where This Gets Personal
I’ll be transparent: I have a list of over a hundred different writing projects that excite me. I’ll be working on a book or creating content for unleashedbyfaith.com, and then I stumble across a YouTube video about drop-shipping, or some other business model that promises quick results. In the past, I’ve chased plenty of those opportunities and I’ve come up dry every single time.
But here’s what I’ve also noticed: the few times in my life where I truly worked my own land, where I leaned into the skills and resources God gave me for a specific calling, I didn’t just find success…I found abundance. Enough to grow. Enough to help others grow alongside me.
The Real Cost of Chasing Fantasies
When we chase fantasies, the loss isn’t just financial. It’s the wasted time, the neglected gifts, and the nagging feeling that we squandered something God entrusted to us. Every one of us has been given a “plot of land” in the form of unique talents, relationships, and opportunities. When we abandon it for something shinier, we’re not just hurting ourselves. We’re withholding the overflow that was meant to bless the people around us.
Working Your Land
So what does it look like to “work your land” today? It means showing up for the thing God has placed in front of you even when it’s unglamorous, even when it’s slow, even when someone else’s field looks more exciting. It means trusting that faithfulness in the ordinary leads to abundance in due season.
Discipline over daydreams. That’s God’s formula.
I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever chased a fantasy and left your own land unattended? Or maybe you’ve experienced the abundance that comes from staying faithful to what God gave you. Share your story in the comments below or reach out via email — your experience might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Watch the full video: God’s Formula for Success: Discipline Over Daydreams
Unleashed By Faith 
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