In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10
“Paul has several issues to bring to the attention of the Thessalonians relative to money issues. He emphasized how his own pattern of working hard, night and day, for a living should remind the believers in that city how much he loved them and how sincerely he wished he could return to Thessalonica and give them further instruction in the faith.
Moreover, he referred to those same work patterns to demonstrate the able-bodied people in the church how important one’s daily work was. And when the apostle heard that some of the Thessalonians had stopped working and were becoming freeloaders off others in the church, he wrote to admonish such believers to get back to work.
He forcefully challenged the body to warn and encourage these people to follow in the apostolic example and not become a burden to the community. Those who persisted in rejecting this tradition would be liable to church discipline with the goal that they would be ashamed of their behavior and turn from their sin.”
Verlyn D. Verbrugge & Keith R. Krell in Paul & Money: A Biblical Analysis of the Apostle’s Teachings and Practices (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015) 221.
Work is a fitting topic today since Sammy and I are demonstrating fly tying at the West Denver Trout Unlimited Fly Tying Clinic from 9am-3pm at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, Colorado. When Sammy turned 14, I reminded him that God made him to work, and it was time to start.
That was nearly 8 years ago. He launched Sammy’s Fly Shop back then, and ever since, he’s been selling proven fly fishing patterns made with top quality materials. He has applied himself to his work and enjoyed doing it both as a means (making income) and an end (tying flies that catch fish).
Why emphasize this point today?
God made us all to work. When we work we get compensation (means) and we make a contribution (end). That’s God’s design for us. Each worker plays a role in God’s bigger picture. Also, part of the purpose of our work inherent to this text is sharing. In this case, some who could work were taking advantage of Christian sharing by not working.
Regardless of the systems in the nations in which we find ourselves, God’s design is not to freeload (not work to take free handouts) or to retire (not to work and rely on wealth stored up for yourself). God made us to work to have resources to enjoy and share (cf. Ephesians 4:28). Any other path sets a bad example.
What example does your work set? And if you are in the Denver area, come on over to the fly tying clinic and see Sammy and me.