WORK

The Oxford Dictionary  defines work as  
1 activity  involving mental  or physical  effort done  in  order to  achieve a result.  
2 such  activity as a means  of earning income.  
3 a task or  tasks  to  be undertaken.  

Basically work can  be a job  that  you  go to  everyday and from  which you earn  a  salary. However,  it  can also  be  any  task  or duty  you are supposed to  do even if  you  may  not be  financially compensated for  it.
Every one  of  us has  work  to  do whether  it  be  a  job we go  to,  ministry, business,  farming, housekeeping etc.  There is  no such thing  as unemployment. God’s  way  of  prosperity  is  work and  a  good work ethic.  It  is  dishonest and  disingenuous  to  teach people that  all  they  need  to  do  to  prosper is  to  give. Giving  is  just one  fourth  of  the success  equation.

When God  created man,  work was the  first  thing  that  He gave him. God gave  Adam a job  before He  gave him  a  wife.  Work was part of God’s  plan. It is not  the  result  of  the  fall.  It existed before  the fall.

“And God blessed  them,  and God  said  unto them,  Be fruitful, and  multiply,  and  replenish  the earth, and subdue  it: and have dominion over the  fish  of  the sea,  and over the fowl of the  air, and  over  every living thing that  moveth upon  the earth.”  Gen1:28

Adam was  a  perfect  man in a perfect  environment  with  all  of his  needs met  by God.  God  provided whatever Adam needed  to  live  and  thrive. And  yet still  He  gave him  work to  do. A perfect man in  a perfect  environment  had  work to  do.  Now what about  us  who live in an imperfect world?  We have a  lot of work  to do. There is a  lot  to  do in  this  world.
Work is what  Adam did in the  garden.  Naming  the animals was work.  Hard  work.  Smart  work.  He worked the garden. He tended  it,  he kept  it.  The  dominion  mandate  God  gave him could  only be  achieved through  work. You  have to  work hard and smart  if  you are going to  prosper God’s  way. If  you don’t  work  you will  not have what  to  give.
Every purpose is connected to  work. You cannot fulfill your purpose without  working.  The  pastor works, the evangelist  works,  the doctor works,  the teacher  works etc.

2Thesalonians  3
6  Now we  command you,  brethren,  in  the name of our Lord  Jesus  Christ, that  ye  withdraw  yourselves from  every  brother  that  walketh disorderly, and not  after  the tradition which he  received  of  us.

Paul gives instructions  about  how  we  should  deal  with the brethren who  refuse  to work when they are able. This  is  not  talking  about those who  cannot  work. There are  people  who  have reasons why they can’t  work. These can be sickness, weakness, they just lost  a job  and are  temporarily jobless, transition etc.

However there are those that are able to  work but  just deliberately  refuse  to go  to  work  for  whatever reason  but instead prefer to  live off  someone else  or  get  welfare or  depend  on  charity  to survive. He commands us in  the name  of  the Lord to  withdraw, disassociate  and separate  ourselves from  such people. 
Such people are  living  a  disorderly  life and have  not submitted  to  the authority  of Jesus  Christ and  to  the plan and  purpose and  design  of God.  

7  For yourselves  know  how ye ought to  follow us:  for  we  behaved  not  ourselves disorderly among you; 8  Neither  did  we eat any  man's  bread for nought; but  wrought  with  labour  and travail night  and day, that we  might  not  be chargeable to  any  of you:

Paul and his  companions  were self-supporting missionaries. They  worked  long  hours  so  as not  to be a financial  burden  to  those to  whom they  ministered.   Acts 18:3  tells  us that  Paul  was  a tentmaker. That  was the  business in which he  engaged to support himself and his  companions.  And  it was  a profitable business  because in  those days  tents  were widely used.  Thus  there was enough market for their  tents and they  earned  sufficient income  from them to support themselves  in  the ministry.

“And because he was  of  the  same  craft,  he abode  with them, and wrought:  for  by their occupation they were  tentmakers.”

Paul referred to their work  as  travail. According  to  Thayer, the  Greek  word  that  was  translated ‘travail’ here  means,  a hard and difficult labor, toil, travail, hardship, distress.  Paul  and  his companions  didn't just  work;  they  worked  hard.   

In 1Thes2:9 he  says that  they worked day and  night  so  as not  to  be  a burden  to  those they  ministered to.   “For ye  remember, brethren,  our  labour and  travail:  for labouring  night and  day, because  we would not be chargeable  unto any of  you, we  preached  unto you the gospel  of God.”

They worked  long hours  to provide  for  their need  and not  depend  on the  people to  whom  they were preaching to  take  of  them.

9 Not because  we  have not  power, but  to make  ourselves  an  ensample unto  you to  follow  us.

As apostles and  ministers  to these  people, they had  the  right or authority  to  receive  their  living  from preaching  the gospel.  However,  he  chose not  to  use that  power  so  he  could set  an  example for the Thessalonians  to  follow.

10  For even when  we were  with  you, this we commanded  you,  that  if  any would  not work, neither should he eat.

When people  are able  to  work and they  just  deliberately refuse  to  work, we  as  the church  should  not help them  or  feed them.  If  a person is able  to  work, they need  to.   It  is  not helpful to  give and  take  care  of  an able-bodied person who refuses to work.  Giving them handouts is  what keeps  them  in  that  state  of laziness and unproductivity.

We have already discussed  that  there are people  who  are not  able  to work for whatever reason. These are not  the ones Paul is  talking  about.  All of us have  been  in  a  situation where  we needed  help  and care because  we weren’t able to  take  care  of ourselves.  
As  Christians  we are always driven  by compassion to  help the  needy. However,  many  times  just giving food or money to  the  poor is not the  help they really  need. If  they  can work,  it  is better to  give the opportunity  to  work and  be contributors  instead  of  takers. 
It  is the proverbial  giving  a  man  a fish thus feeding them  for a day versus  teaching  them  to fish  thus feeding  them for a  life time.

11  For we  hear  that there  are  some  which walk among you  disorderly, working  not  at all, but  are busybodies.

A person who  is busy working  and making  a living  has  no  time to interfere  in the affairs of others because  they  are occupied  with  their own lives.  These Thessalonians  who were not  working  had  a lot  of time  to  idle  around  and  be busybodies.

12  Now them  that  are such  we  command and exhort  by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with  quietness they work, and  eat  their  own  bread.13  But ye,  brethren, be  not weary  in  well  doing.14  And  if any  man obey not  our word  by this epistle, note that  man, and  have no company  with  him, that  he  may  be  ashamed.15 Yet  count him  not as  an enemy, but  admonish  him  as a  brother.

If there is something  we  all should  be  ashamed  of, it is  mooching off other  people or freeloading. It should  be  embarrassing  and humiliating  to beg for  food and  care  when  you  can  go out  and work and provide for yourself. God  did  not create us  to live this way.  Laziness  should  be  shameful.

Comments