““And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you”(1 Thessalonians 4:11).
TEXT — 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Message
John Garner, a former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare once asserted that “An excellent plumber is infinitely more valuable than an incompetent philosopher. The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because it is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy; neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”
Garner’s observation agrees with what may be regarded as the Christian work ethic in today’s text. The Thessalonian Christians were exemplary in their zeal and commitment to the Lord. In this regard, their fame spread and they were highly commended by Apostle Paul. However, it would appear that some of their converts under the pretext of religion waxed idle and resorted to gossiping and meddling in the affairs of others. While exhorting them to commit more to brotherly love, the Apostle condemned the attitude of such lazy, beggarly and busybody fellows in the church. He directed that they should hold their peace, mind their business and have honest means of livelihood instead of depending on other church members.
This instruction is consistent with several other Scriptures that uniformly teach that a Christian must not only work diligently but should have an eye for excellence at work. An idle or lazy Christian is a contradiction in terms and it does not matter how fluent or prayerful he boasts. This is for every Christian except for brethren who are incapacitated by ailment, old age or other uncontrollable factors.
Idling away and depending on others for sustenance is not acceptable. There is dignity in labour. Find a legitimate, profitable and productive activity and do it excellently “as to the Lord”.
Thought for the day
Laziness and idleness can never attract God’s blessing no matter their colours.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
Insightful