Never tire of doing what is good
“And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”
(2 Thessalonians 3:13)
The 2 Thessalonians 3:6~15 says the contents about being wary of laziness. As the Book of James said, even if we have faith, we are nothing more than a dead faith without practice. In other words, such a person is a lazy one of faith. But even lazy lives will turn into diligent gradually if they believe in Christ. We knew laziness and lack of faith are the almost same each other from Paul’s teachings. Laziness and faithlessness have to be vigilant and of exclusion. And behavior of disorder is not desirable for Christians. Evil spirits try by all means to destroy all order by injecting chaos into the mind of people if possible.
Laziness, faith without deeds, and disorder are similar concepts that have interrelationships. A person who believes in Jesus, even if he had been a lazy one in the past, should have been transformed into a hard worker now. Because the person is living by practical faith according to God’s words. A group or society where such people gather will be made inevitably stabilize in the midst of order. Apostle Paul risked his life to preach the gospel of Christ’s salvation, and also his teachings did not leave out the demands for the orderly life of church and society, along with the practice faith.
People usually like whatever free things. So there’s even a saying terribly, “If it’s free, you are drinking even lye.” What would happen to your stomach if you actually drank lye water? We had heard before several times that a person who tries to kill himself drank lye water. I can’t help but say it’s too great that they like a free charge enough to think it’s okay to die. However, unearned income is not a good thing, but a same to the result from a behavior without faith. Thus Christians who believe in Jesus should not like unearned income. To let others work without payment to them, or to try to get money without working for others is a bad behavior of wrong faith expecting unearned income. Unfortunately, such wrong attitudes often appear in appearances even among church members.
It was enough to be deserved that Paul the apostle was treated with food or substance by Thessalonian church. It is not unfair for a pastor who preaches the gospel of Christ to take the help of living from the members of the church, but a natural right as a minister. But Paul the apostle didn’t try to do that from them. Because he was going to set an example for himself so that others would practice a good life according to the Paul’s. Among Thessalonian church were those who did not work, but rather made some problems. On account of that, “Don’t even eat,” Paul ordered strict to them. Unearned income is a sin as eating in the state of idleness without works. Money not earned justly by working will fly with wings someday from you. When Lot, Abram’s nephew living in Sodom, was captured by the invaders, Abram stepped up with his allies and defeated the forces of Chedorlaomer. When Abram came back after retaking his nephew Lot, women and the relatives as well as all the lost properties, King of Sodom welcomed Abram and said him to have all things Abram had regained from enemy. Then Abram replied, “I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal.” Abram’s intention was that he would not be told that he became rich because of others. We’ll have to learn the fine attitude of Abraham, the ancestor of faith.
The lesson of the Bible through Paul is ‘to work honestly and eat your own food.’ That’s a demand to be faithful to one’s own role without being lazy. To put it conversely, it means that God will give suitable rewards to those who are faithful to their roles. Please remember well the message in the Gospel of Matthew 6:33.
Jesus said this in Matthew 6:31~33, “Do not worry, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” However, I confess frankly the fact that I have been often worried about eating, drinking, and wearing because of my weak faith. So I had often fallen into a state of disappointment while doing good. Many people in general have often recognized unconsciously as if faith and action had to be separated things each other. But that’s absolutely not, it will be given real happiness for those who are not discouraged for the gospel of Christ.
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on July 25th 2021)