Martin Luther on the Work Ethic of the Believer around 1545 from his lectures on Genesis.
God wants us to do our duty and to work diligently, in order that the flesh may be exercised and may not snore and become listless from inactivity, as the heathen poet says: “The natural disposition of all men is inclined away from work to lust.” Accordingly, we should not give ourselves to ease and laziness; but with all zeal and diligence we should submit to the labors which the calling of each and every one requires. And to these labors there should be added at the same time a cheerful spirit in every trouble, exertion, and tribulation. In this way a blessing should be expected from the Lord. Thus Jacob, Joseph, Rachel, and Leah were not lazy. Leah says to Jacob: “Has not our father consumed our wages?” (cf. Gen. 31:15), as though she meant to say: “We have had to bear the troubles of household administration by pasturing the flocks, milking the cows and goats, etc. But whatever was gained by our zeal and diligence, all this our father Laban has consumed.” Rebecca and Sarah undoubtedly applied themselves with the same earnestness, but they did so with a peaceful and quiet conscience.
In this manner Joseph, too, was most diligent in his management of the household. He was the first to get out of bed, he wandered through the whole house, he specified what had to be done in the house or in the field, and he carefully arranged everything. He did not wait until the domestics did their duty of their own accord. For usually this never happens, as is evident among our people, whose laziness and carelessness is so great that I have never seen lazier people than in this region and city. If food is at hand for tomorrow, they do nothing at all, or they attend to their assigned tasks illnaturedly. Therefore they are good-for-nothings and beggars; and whatever they have, they have because of the prayers of the church. They will never get rich, devoted as they are to laziness, sloth, and gluttony. They are a lazy, base, and gluttonous people! But those who are industrious and diligent easily become rich, because to such God wants to give a blessing, as Solomon says: “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov. 10:4).
And we see the same thing happening at court. Generally speaking, two or three men bear the whole burden of government, the prince himself and some of his secretaries. The rest of the mob snores night and day, revels, and gormandizes; or if it does anything, it does so not for the sake of duty but out of pure greed and ambition. That is why such great expenses are incurred.
