Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don’t complain.

The line condenses a distinctly evangelical ethic into three imperatives: spiritual formation (“Read the Bible”), vocational integrity (“Work hard and honestly”), and a posture of gratitude or endurance (“don’t complain”). Taken together, it frames Christian discipleship as both inward and outward—rooted in Scripture, expressed through diligent, ethical labor, and marked by restraint in speech. The final clause suggests a moral discipline against bitterness and entitlement, implying that habitual complaint corrodes faith and community. As a maxim, it reflects a practical, plainspoken approach to piety: ordinary habits, consistently practiced, are presented as the foundation for a stable moral life.