Daily Bread 2010 - 2 Thessalonians 3
Warning Against Idleness
6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
Who says the bible is not practical? Paul warns the church about those who are idle and don’t abide by the teachings Paul passed on to them. Paul uses his own example to point out that although he had a right to be paid for the holy work he was doing among them, he chose to earn a living so that others would not accuse him for doing this for the sake of money.
There were some in the church who reasoned that if the Lord was coming back, why not sit back take it easy, for there was no reason to work if Jesus were coming soon. Paul had none of that and said if a man didn’t work he shouldn’t eat. How is that for tough love?
Sometimes we shy away from saying the right and needed thing, because we always want to be nice and not hurt anybody’s feelings in the church. But sometimes people need to be challenged. Some develop a victim mentality and think the church should be the one that always bails them out. Sometimes we need to say to people, “You need to go get a job.”
Of course there are circumstances of hardship and the church needs to reach out in compassion to those in need, but we mustn’t be a place of co-dependency for people who are not willing to do their part in solving the problem. In all of this Paul, says to speak the truth in love and warn him as a brother but not regard him as an enemy.
Who in your life needs a gentle “kick in the pants”? How do you enable people instead of speaking the truth in love so that someone might be able to avoid what Paul calls idleness?
Jesus thank you for giving us work. As Christians may we work hard and show who our true boss is? Help us to never use our faith and ultimate trust in you as an excuse for laziness. Help us to be an example to our brothers and sisters in Christ of how to work hard for your sake, Amen.
6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
Who says the bible is not practical? Paul warns the church about those who are idle and don’t abide by the teachings Paul passed on to them. Paul uses his own example to point out that although he had a right to be paid for the holy work he was doing among them, he chose to earn a living so that others would not accuse him for doing this for the sake of money.
There were some in the church who reasoned that if the Lord was coming back, why not sit back take it easy, for there was no reason to work if Jesus were coming soon. Paul had none of that and said if a man didn’t work he shouldn’t eat. How is that for tough love?
Sometimes we shy away from saying the right and needed thing, because we always want to be nice and not hurt anybody’s feelings in the church. But sometimes people need to be challenged. Some develop a victim mentality and think the church should be the one that always bails them out. Sometimes we need to say to people, “You need to go get a job.”
Of course there are circumstances of hardship and the church needs to reach out in compassion to those in need, but we mustn’t be a place of co-dependency for people who are not willing to do their part in solving the problem. In all of this Paul, says to speak the truth in love and warn him as a brother but not regard him as an enemy.
Who in your life needs a gentle “kick in the pants”? How do you enable people instead of speaking the truth in love so that someone might be able to avoid what Paul calls idleness?
Jesus thank you for giving us work. As Christians may we work hard and show who our true boss is? Help us to never use our faith and ultimate trust in you as an excuse for laziness. Help us to be an example to our brothers and sisters in Christ of how to work hard for your sake, Amen.
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