Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 8, No. 32
“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 3:11-13NIV)
What was the news coming to Paul and his ministry companions about the Thessalonians? It was that some of them were idle and disruptive. And idle people are often disruptive. That is because what they use most of their time and energy to do is rumour spreading. Therefore, consciously or unconsciously, they are bound to cause trouble for those in their lives or around them with their mouths.
Also, idle people are usually parasites. That means they have to rely on others to live well and fine, seeing that they are not using their energy and time to do anything productive or profitable. And like parasites, unless they are deal with ruthlessly, they will not stop going from one person to another wreaking havoc.All of this, of course, is why Paul warns the Thessalonians to address all the idle brethren among them to stop being idle and start earning the food they eat.
This, by the way, is not a call for the brethren to stop helping one another to come or stay out of poverty. Rather, it is a call for them to be discerning and discreet in helping one another.See, every child of God can expect to be supported by the brethren with whom they are in fellowship. But you need to show yourself as worthy of whatever help you are getting from the people of God in your life.
If you are getting monetary support, for example, use the money wisely in an obvious way. And when God starts increasing you in money, don’t hide it because you want to continue to get help from others or because you don’t want to help anyone with your own money. Otherwise, you will be nothing but a parasite.Then if it is a job you are helped with, don’t make the person that got the job for you regret doing so through laziness, unfaithfulness or lack of diligence.
Instead, work so hard that news will come to the person that has helped you that you have been nothing but a blessing to those you are working for or working with. And if it is housing support you get, prove yourself extremely useful and helpful to those housing and perhaps also feeding you. Otherwise, you will be nothing but a parasite.
Now, as I pointed out to you before, the only way to take care of parasites is to ruthlessly destroy or get rid of them. Otherwise, they will end up ruining their hosts. So, if you will not stop being a parasite, wise and spiritually discerning people will not keep you around them for long. Instead, they will do all that they can righteously do to keep you far away from their lives.
Also, if what you have chosen is a parasitic life and are unwilling to let go of it, God Himself will, at some point, have to step in and keep you from ruining His people and discouraging them from helping others. And who knows what measures He may take against you? Nobody! So, mind yourself.
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