October 2
Isaiah 60-61
Psalm 108:1-6
Proverbs 24:7
2 Thessalonians 3
The Value of Work
“For when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.”
2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 NIV
This principle is one that we seem to have forgotten in our politically correct culture. Now, before you get angry with me and send me hateful comments, this is not talking about those who are truly disabled and those who cannot work. It says, “the one who is unwilling to work.” But this principle does apply to those who can’t find a job that they like or that they think they deserve or a job that matches their education. As a society we have raised a generation of kids who were awarded for participation and told how special they are. In an attempt to give them healthy self-esteem we have created kids who do not know the satisfaction of hard work and the thrill of earned accomplishments. They don’t understand how good it feels to work really hard for something and then get it instead of it being given to them because they “tried.” Instead of creating healthy self-esteem, this generation of young adults suffers from more depression and higher incidences of suicide than any previous generation. I do not believe it is because we are more aware of it and so it just seems higher. If you look at society as a whole and at young adults you know, it is painfully evident that there is a problem. I know there are exceptions to this. I know many young adults who are hardworking and diligent. But if you drive down the road you can see dozens of help-wanted signs and every business I know is trying to find more people to work. Showing up on time, working hard all day, doing whatever needs to be done, staying late until the job is done, not complaining about being asked to do something that isn’t in your “job description,” actually working instead of staying on your phone or on social media all day, and being happy that you have a job that is paying you so that you can pay your bills have all become rarities.
We were designed by our Creator to work. Adam and Eve were given a garden to tend and animals to care for. We are not meant to be idle. Idleness leads to boredom, which leads to sin. God knows that we need to keep busy. He has designed each of us for a purpose. He has work for each of us to do. As parents our job is to help our children figure out what God has designed them to do and prepare them for it. Our job is not to make their lives easy. An easy life is not the ultimate goal. The goal is that we train them to be the productive, godly, diligent, hardworking adults that God needs them to be so that they can accomplish what He has planned for them. We are all uniquely made by our Creator for a purpose. Our self-esteem should be founded in who we are in Christ. A hard day’s work is good for all of us. Paul explains in this passage that if we are not busy, we will become busybodies. If we are not working hard at the things we are supposed to be doing, we will have time to get into things we have no business being involved in. If you find yourself with idle time, do not spend it on social media, go volunteer at a local ministry. There are plenty of opportunities all around you to help others. You only need to look around to see hurting people in need of someone to take the time to love them. Be that person. I feel like I need to make a disclaimer here. I am not saying we don’t need times of rest. God’s perfect plan is for us to work hard, be productive and accomplish His purposes for six days a week and then on the seventh we are supposed to rest and worship. We all need to have the proper balance. Rest time is good and profitable. Idle time is unproductive and leads to destruction.
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