“We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”
(2Thess 3:11-12NIV)
There are many today, even in the church, that complain all the time of how hard life is for them and how difficult it is for them to take care of their basic needs. And that is their excuse for being unduly dependent on others for almost everything they need in life or want to do. But people who act like this are not living in the will of God. It is true that God wants His people to learn to support one another with their resources. In fact, it was by acting like this that the church of the first century, in their early years, accomplished a situation in which there were no needy persons among them (Acts 4:32-35).
However, these brethren were not supporting one another to encourage idleness or slothfulness. On the contrary, they were supporting one another to promote equality, to bring everyone to that place where they are financially independent and would not have to be unduly dependent on anyone (2Cor 8:13). And why did they function like that? It was because they were well taught. Their apostles and teachers taught them to get busy with one form of legitimate labour or the other, so that they would be able to take of themselves and also support others.
For instance, Paul, speaking to the Thessalonian brethren in his second letter to them, instructs them not to condone any form of idleness or laziness among them. In other words, they are not to support able-bodied brethren who will not act responsibly and put themselves to work. And as he further points out to them, even as an apostle, he worked while he was with them. He and his co-ministers worked night and day to have resources to take care of their basic needs. So, they would not buy anything on credit or use cleverness to take goods or services from any of the brethren and not pay for it. They even gave them a rule, which was that anyone who would not work must not eat. (Cf. 2Thess 3:5-10)
Therefore, when news came to them that some among these brethren had become idle and slothful, Paul lost no time to address the matter. And as we see in our opening text, it was a strong warning he gave them. He said, “Settle down and work to earn the bread you eat.” In other words, Paul wants these brethren to stop relying on others for everything they need in life, when they themselves are in a position to work to care for themselves and to also support others. He wants them to stop living like parasites.
Now notice that this apostle does not say to those poor and idle brethren, “Tell your pastors to organise a prayer meeting for you that will be titled ‘Bring back my glory’.” No, he does not say anything like that at all. Why? It is because as important as it is for us to pray, prayer alone cannot cure financial handicaps – we need to add legitimate labour that is handled with wisdom to it as well. Of course, through prayer, we are able to appropriate God’s favour and provisions for us. But if we will not get busy and apply ourselves to some honest labour, we will ultimately waste whatever measure of favour God pours out on our behalf.
So, if you have been living a parasitic life, you are wrong. It does not matter whether it is your family members, friends, neighbours or brethren in church that you have been feeding on, you are wrong. And in fact, they too are wrong to continue to encourage you to feed on them, while your abilities to be fruitful and useful are wasting away. Or don’t you know that is what is happening? You are wasting away, if you are not using those abilities and skills God has given you to work and add value to your life and to others’ life. Yes, if you are using entire days to sleep, watch movies, play games or to do any other thing that does not increase you in fruitfulness or relevance, you are wasting away. And by the time you wake up, you will have become nothing but an old useless person.
Therefore, you need to find something legitimate to do, according to your abilities or circumstances, in order to attain financial independence. In fact, you need to tell yourself that you are not going to be a parasite but one whose life is adding value to others’ lives. If you are working, and what you are earning from it is not yet enough to support you, it is understandable. Then it will make all the sense in the world for God’s people to support you until you attain financial independence. But if you are not doing anything but are only complaining of how there are no jobs anywhere or how nobody is willing to pay you what you are worth, then, you are simply wasting away. Then I have to say to you, friend, “Settle down and earn the bread you eat and stop being parasite.”
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By: J.O. Lawal | Date: November 04, 2020 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 25