Wednesday Wake Up #36

Warning Against Idleness

In reading 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 we get to see the encouragement against idleness. What is idleness? That means being inactive. Imagine your car sitting still in neutral. It has potential to go forward or backward, but it just sits. It is useless. I look at MANY (far too many) Christ followers who see themselves as right with God but do not serve, read or read and study the Word. It is time to start doing more for the Kingdom of God. 

Idleness did not just mean inactivity. In verses 6-7 Paul directs fellow Christ followers to keep away from any brother/sister in Christ who is walking in idleness. That means if this believer is not living like a believer (I assume more often than not) then you have every right to keep your distance. And why wouldn't you? We already know that bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33). So if someone among you is not following the example of Christ, then it is okay to leave them to their ways. You don't have to fix them or feel guilty that they chose their lifestyle.

In verses 10-11 Paul calls out those who would not (notice that it wasn't cannot) work. He says, if they aren't willing to help and work and they just want to be busy bodies, then they should not eat. This I understand was specific to the church and not local government. The thinking is that people thought if Jesus was coming back then what was the point of working. They decided to let others work and they reap the benefits of giving Christians. Paul didn't like that, but he also wanted those who were doing the right thing to not grow weary in doing it (verse 13). Paul knew how to call out those that weren't doing the right thing but also knew how to encourage those that were doing the right thing in the name of the Lord. 

 

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