Not to be a Burden

1 Thessalonians 2:9

It seems one of the things that the Thessalonian church struggled with was working. They knew that Jesus' second coming would be soon, so they stopped working to be ready. Paul is not focusing specifically on work in 2:9 as much as he is describing how he approached his ministry there. Nevertheless, part of that approach was to set an example of working: “Surely you remember…our toil and hardship. We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel.” Some people interpret this to mean that church leaders and ministers shouldn't be paid. Others consider this passage particularly relevant for church plants and missionary teams, that the evangelists with those efforts should have a job that supports their work, rather than depending on a church as a sole means of support. This is one of those passages that I'm still working on in terms of meaning and application. But one thing stands out: Paul and his team worked. They weren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty (in this case making tents, Acts 18:3). So at least one application out of this passage might be the importance of work. That's not to say anything about those who want to be employed but cannot find work, about those who's work is around the home, or about those who are full-time students. I think the application is for those who do none of those. Work! Don't be a burden.