“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 NLT
Hard work is part of following Jesus. Paul not only taught this but lived it in his own life. He worked hard, did not ask for handouts, paid his own way, and was not a burden to others. Even when he had the right to ask others for support, as an apostle and pastor, he did not. Paul wanted to set an example for the new believers (and for us). We do not earn our salvation, but we respond to God’s grace with a changed life – including hard work for the Lord. In Greek culture it was prized to be able to not work (the slaves did the work). In our culture convenience sells. Humans tend to be lazy. The way of Jesus includes hard work.
Paul also told the Christians not to meddle in other people’s affairs. Following Jesus means you mind your own business, you work first on the issues God is showing you in your own life, and you are there to help others. We are to warn, pray for, and help those who are not following the teachings of Christ – this is not meddling, but fellowship. In short, “never get tired of doing good.”
Are there any areas of your life where you are gossiping or meddling in other people’s business? How can your loyalty to the Lord change your work habits?
