No Time to Waste

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 ESV

“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

In America, leisure and entertainment are consuming many people’s lives. Some people who could work live off the government. Some people who do work for pay are still lazy and slothful, and in their spare time they relax and watch TV and play games and entertain themselves. Some people who are retired from their jobs and who live off of retirement, which they paid into, feel that this is their time to just relax and to be entertained. 

As Christians, we are to work for the Lord. We are to serve him with our lives. There really should not be any such thing as full retirement for the follower of Christ, for they should be working for the Lord and for the benefit of other people instead of just relaxing and being entertained so much. And I am not saying we can’t relax or that we can’t enjoy a table game or some good music or a wholesome play of some kind. But we shouldn’t be idle.

We shouldn’t be people who are wasting away what time we have left on this earth being entertained consistently. We should be those who are doing the work of the Lord which he has called us to do, to take the gospel message of our salvation to the people of this world, and to minister to the body of Christ as the Scriptures instruct us to do, and to minister to the needs of other people who legitimately are in need and can’t help themselves.

And, although the Scriptures teach us to be generous, we need to be people of discernment in our giving to make certain of where that money is going and what it is being used for, for there are so many scam artists out there these days, and some of them are charitable organizations. And so some of them are not using the money the way they claim, and the money is not even getting to the people in need, in some cases, or very little is.

So, we should not be idle people who are living for ourselves and who are taking advantage of others, which is what this passage is implying, I believe. For it seems as though people were feeding those who refused to work and who were idle, and so the instructions here are not to do that. If someone can stand outside in the rain, snow, and extreme heat all day long begging, it seems to me they are strong enough and healthy enough to get a job.

And I am not hardhearted, neither am I unsympathetic to people’s genuine needs. My husband and I are both generous people. But what this passage is teaching, at least from a Christian standpoint, is that we should not be feeding those who are unwilling to work, if they are physically able to work. For we are not helping them any. We are teaching them that it is okay to take advantage of others while they do nothing to earn their keep.

And this is also teaching that we, as followers of Christ, are not to be lazy and idle people who do not work at something to help others and to minister to their needs, and who are not using their time wisely and for the Lord. We are to be working for the Lord, whether at a paid job or a volunteer job and in doing the work of the ministry to which our Lord called us. And our lives should be focused outward on the needs of others and not inward only.

For the Lord did not put us on this earth to entertain and to be entertained incessantly. Life is not to be about having fun all the time. We are to take our Lord and his word and his commands (New Covenant) seriously, and we are to be walking in them and in truth and righteousness. And we should be doing the work that God has called us to do written down for us in the Scriptures, which is to live for the Lord and not for ourselves.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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