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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What is Your Role?
It is very easy to just go to church and pray and consider that we are doing our part in the Kingdom of God. Yet, we never read our Bibles, we don't seek to understand the depth of God's word and we don't serve. I know I keep bringing up the message of selfless, God focused serving, but this topic keeps coming up in various ways in scripture.
In Acts 5, we read about Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Ananias sold some land and while other's had given all of their sales of property to the apostles to divide among those in need, Ananias kept some of the sale of his land for himself. When he was called out for his sin, he died. He was convicted by being told "You have not lied to man but to God." His wife Sapphira was complicit in the cover up of the money as well and once she was called out, she died as well. Lesson: Hold true to your oaths. God knows what you do even when you hide it from man. Their heart was not focused on being selfless.
In Acts 5:12-16, we read that the apostles were regularly doing signs and wonders, more believers came to know Jesus and were added to the church. In Acts 5:15-16 we see, that members of the church did their part to help others who needed help. They carried the sick out into the streets in hopes that they could be healed by Peter's shadow (there is no text that states that his shadow did heal- could just be the thought of people). But, ultimately I see that others were helping those in need. We all have different abilities. What are you doing with your God given abilities to help others for the Kingdom of God? That is a question you can answer or ask someone who truly knows you. Don't be a lazy, selfish Christian.
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