Genesis 3:17-19
Do you ever feel like going to work is painful toil? I'm not talking about just having "one of those days." I mean the day-in-day-out exhaustion, the "I don't know if I can go on like this" kind of feeling that makes you not want to get out of bed. Maybe it's your supervisor, the tasks that you do, or your commute. Or maybe it's just not being able to do what you want, having to spend your time doing what someone else tells you to do. Why isn't work more fun?
There are a lot of people who enjoy what they do--I include myself in that category. But I would bet that even those of us who like our jobs have days where we're less than satisfied. That's part of being human. Literally. God told Adam that "through painful toil you will eat food...by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food." That was the Adam-specific punishment because he and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We had always been meant to work--God put Adam in the Garden to tend the plants. But now, the nature of work changed. It was going to be harder. There would be failures, frustrations, and other things interfering with our work (i.e., thorns and thistles). From then until eternity, work would never be as pleasant as it had been before.
That doesn't mean that work is something to evade. Remember that the Bible emphasizes the importance of working. God calls you to faithfulness where you are. God put you where you are at the time that you live so that you would seek Him (Acts 17:26-28).
Knowing that you have a job in an economy where many people don't may help some, but it's not going to make an unpleasant job into a great one. God never promises that work will be fun. In fact, He promises the opposite. But He calls you to faithfulness in spite of the difficulties of your job.
Showing posts with label Importance of Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Importance of Work. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Created to Work
Genesis 2:15
God created Adam to work! When God was busy creating the heavens and the earth, His plan was always for humanity to work, taking care of His creation. Adam wasn't put into the garden to live a life of idleness. Genesis 2:15 says "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Just a few verses earlier, Genesis notes that, after creation but before humanity, "there was no one to work the ground" (2:5). Adam wasn't created to be lazy--he was made to work!
There are some in our society who see work as a burden. People look forward to the end of the day. Some are "working for the weekend." Others are counting the days until retirement. But God intended us to be doing something rather than sitting idle.
I wonder why. This was before Adam and Eve sinned, so life should be perfect. Why would God want us to work? I think one reason is because He works. The Bible begins with six days of God working and contrasts that with His rest. The rest of the Bible is about God working out our salvation. God is an active god. Since we're created in His image (Genesis 1:26), we too are created to be active.
Today is Monday, a day that has the reputation of being a "downer" day. It's the day that is the furthest from Friday and the weekend. But instead of thinking that you have to make it through the week so that you can rest on the weekend, remember that you are doing what you were created to do. This week, work with purpose--you were made to work.
God created Adam to work! When God was busy creating the heavens and the earth, His plan was always for humanity to work, taking care of His creation. Adam wasn't put into the garden to live a life of idleness. Genesis 2:15 says "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Just a few verses earlier, Genesis notes that, after creation but before humanity, "there was no one to work the ground" (2:5). Adam wasn't created to be lazy--he was made to work!
There are some in our society who see work as a burden. People look forward to the end of the day. Some are "working for the weekend." Others are counting the days until retirement. But God intended us to be doing something rather than sitting idle.
I wonder why. This was before Adam and Eve sinned, so life should be perfect. Why would God want us to work? I think one reason is because He works. The Bible begins with six days of God working and contrasts that with His rest. The rest of the Bible is about God working out our salvation. God is an active god. Since we're created in His image (Genesis 1:26), we too are created to be active.
Today is Monday, a day that has the reputation of being a "downer" day. It's the day that is the furthest from Friday and the weekend. But instead of thinking that you have to make it through the week so that you can rest on the weekend, remember that you are doing what you were created to do. This week, work with purpose--you were made to work.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Be Good at What You Do
Matthew 25:14-30
Although a talent in Jesus’ time was also a unit of money, it’s easy to look at the parable of the talents and see parallels between the master who trusted his servants with money and our Master who entrusts us with unique gifts and abilities. So one lesson from this parable is to use your abilities for God’s glory, and I think that’s a great applications.
But there’s another way of thinking about it. Consider the servants who were given five and two talents. The Bible doesn’t tell us for certain, but I would guess that each was a very hard worker. For the master to be as pleased as he was, they had to have done something worthy of high praise. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I can’t see the master being that pleased with mediocre performance. Consider what was said to the worker who just sat on his hands and did little more than dig a hole in the ground: “you wicked and lazy servant.”
God cares how well you do your job. That doesn’t mean you have to be the top performer—the man who was given fewer talents was rewarded for performance based on what he had, not based on what the five-talent servant had. But God wants you to do well with what you have. I’ve mentioned this before, but a teacher of mine once said that “to be a good, Christian artist, you first have to be a good artist.” The same thing can be said of any vocation. For me to be a good, Christian teacher, I first have to be a good teacher.
What can you do to sharpen your skills in your job? It doesn’t mean that you have to be the world’s best at whatever you do, but you do need to use the abilities you have. Think about your job performance over the last week. Where did you waste time? Where could you have put in just a little more time and effort to make something better? God wants your very best, and that doesn’t just apply to Sundays.
Although a talent in Jesus’ time was also a unit of money, it’s easy to look at the parable of the talents and see parallels between the master who trusted his servants with money and our Master who entrusts us with unique gifts and abilities. So one lesson from this parable is to use your abilities for God’s glory, and I think that’s a great applications.
But there’s another way of thinking about it. Consider the servants who were given five and two talents. The Bible doesn’t tell us for certain, but I would guess that each was a very hard worker. For the master to be as pleased as he was, they had to have done something worthy of high praise. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I can’t see the master being that pleased with mediocre performance. Consider what was said to the worker who just sat on his hands and did little more than dig a hole in the ground: “you wicked and lazy servant.”
God cares how well you do your job. That doesn’t mean you have to be the top performer—the man who was given fewer talents was rewarded for performance based on what he had, not based on what the five-talent servant had. But God wants you to do well with what you have. I’ve mentioned this before, but a teacher of mine once said that “to be a good, Christian artist, you first have to be a good artist.” The same thing can be said of any vocation. For me to be a good, Christian teacher, I first have to be a good teacher.
What can you do to sharpen your skills in your job? It doesn’t mean that you have to be the world’s best at whatever you do, but you do need to use the abilities you have. Think about your job performance over the last week. Where did you waste time? Where could you have put in just a little more time and effort to make something better? God wants your very best, and that doesn’t just apply to Sundays.
Friday, January 21, 2011
An Example of Hard Work
Acts 20: 32-35
I think it's interested that, as Paul was saying good bye to friends that he would likely never see again, he thought it worth mentioning that he was a hard worker. In this passage, Paul is saying good bye to the elders from the church in Ephesus, a church with which he worked for a number of years. They had traveled quite a distance to see him, and both they and he knew it was unlikely that they would meet again. You wouldn't think that would be the time to bring up one's work ethic. Paul's point is that he never burdened them by asking them to support him. "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions." Why was Paul working so hard to meet his needs? "I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak" Paul felt that, because he could work, he should do so to free up the Church to help those who were unable to work.
Paul's example to the Ephesian elders is an example to us as well. I've blogged a number of times about the importance of working. Looking back at the posts from the last year, I think the importance of working if you are able is one of the key themes about work in the Bible. Not to gain fame, power, or wealth, but so that you are not a burden on anyone and so that you can help others. If you are able to work, be sure that you are. There are people who, because of age, a disability, or the economy, cannot work and need our help. But for those of us who can work, the Bible is very clear that we should be doing so.
I think it's interested that, as Paul was saying good bye to friends that he would likely never see again, he thought it worth mentioning that he was a hard worker. In this passage, Paul is saying good bye to the elders from the church in Ephesus, a church with which he worked for a number of years. They had traveled quite a distance to see him, and both they and he knew it was unlikely that they would meet again. You wouldn't think that would be the time to bring up one's work ethic. Paul's point is that he never burdened them by asking them to support him. "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions." Why was Paul working so hard to meet his needs? "I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak" Paul felt that, because he could work, he should do so to free up the Church to help those who were unable to work.
Paul's example to the Ephesian elders is an example to us as well. I've blogged a number of times about the importance of working. Looking back at the posts from the last year, I think the importance of working if you are able is one of the key themes about work in the Bible. Not to gain fame, power, or wealth, but so that you are not a burden on anyone and so that you can help others. If you are able to work, be sure that you are. There are people who, because of age, a disability, or the economy, cannot work and need our help. But for those of us who can work, the Bible is very clear that we should be doing so.
Friday, October 29, 2010
You Can't Take It With You.
Ecclesiastes 1:3; 2:18-26; 4:4-8; 5:18
"What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" The teacher is disappointed to not find purpose in any of the work that he completes. In chapter 2, he laments that he has to leave everything to his descendants, but he doesn't know whether they will be wise or foolish. Toiling days, restless nights, but you still can't take it with you.
In chapter 4, the Teacher suggests that work and achievements come from our envying of others. He describes the woe of one who works, who sacrifices tranquility and contentment, but cannot find satisfaction.
He sums up this idea of the meaning of work in chapter 5: "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot." I have to admit that these are not the most hopeful passages in the Bible nor are they the easiest to make sense of. Part of the issue is why are you working. Are you working because you enjoy what you do? Are you working to provide for your family? Or are you working to accumulate? In the first two instances, I think the Bible is clear that this is a good think. "It is good and proper for a man to ...find satisfaction in his toilsome labor." As a professor, I tell people that I get paid to do what I enjoy doing. That's a good thing, according to Ecclesiastes. Are you working to provide for family? That's a good thing, too, according to other places in the Bible as well as this passage. The teacher's condemnation of the man working in chapter 4 was that he had no family--he was alone and working to accumulate. That's the danger, working to accumulate stuff that you cannot enjoy. It's not that the stuff accumulated is bad (5:19-20). It's the attitude and endless hours spent doing something other than honoring God.
Think about why you are working. Is it to provide food and shelter/clothing for your family? Or is it to pay off the house or car that you couldn't really afford but had to have? Think about your priorities and then consider what you really gain from your "toil under the sun."
"What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" The teacher is disappointed to not find purpose in any of the work that he completes. In chapter 2, he laments that he has to leave everything to his descendants, but he doesn't know whether they will be wise or foolish. Toiling days, restless nights, but you still can't take it with you.
In chapter 4, the Teacher suggests that work and achievements come from our envying of others. He describes the woe of one who works, who sacrifices tranquility and contentment, but cannot find satisfaction.
He sums up this idea of the meaning of work in chapter 5: "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot." I have to admit that these are not the most hopeful passages in the Bible nor are they the easiest to make sense of. Part of the issue is why are you working. Are you working because you enjoy what you do? Are you working to provide for your family? Or are you working to accumulate? In the first two instances, I think the Bible is clear that this is a good think. "It is good and proper for a man to ...find satisfaction in his toilsome labor." As a professor, I tell people that I get paid to do what I enjoy doing. That's a good thing, according to Ecclesiastes. Are you working to provide for family? That's a good thing, too, according to other places in the Bible as well as this passage. The teacher's condemnation of the man working in chapter 4 was that he had no family--he was alone and working to accumulate. That's the danger, working to accumulate stuff that you cannot enjoy. It's not that the stuff accumulated is bad (5:19-20). It's the attitude and endless hours spent doing something other than honoring God.
Think about why you are working. Is it to provide food and shelter/clothing for your family? Or is it to pay off the house or car that you couldn't really afford but had to have? Think about your priorities and then consider what you really gain from your "toil under the sun."
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Mere Talk
Proverbs 14:23
Have you ever known those people who talk about work, but never seem to do any? Those people who always have the next great idea but never do anything to make that idea happen? Those people who never can get ahead and they spend all their time telling you about it (instead of working)? Listen to Proverbs 14:23—“all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” One interpretation of the book of Proverbs is that it contains truisms, things that are generally, but not universally true. That might be a good way to look at this verse. There are people who work very hard, but cannot say they’ve made a profit yet. But I think the general principle of the verse stands: talking about what you’re going to do without taking action is never going to get you there. You’ve got to work.
Have you ever known those people who talk about work, but never seem to do any? Those people who always have the next great idea but never do anything to make that idea happen? Those people who never can get ahead and they spend all their time telling you about it (instead of working)? Listen to Proverbs 14:23—“all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” One interpretation of the book of Proverbs is that it contains truisms, things that are generally, but not universally true. That might be a good way to look at this verse. There are people who work very hard, but cannot say they’ve made a profit yet. But I think the general principle of the verse stands: talking about what you’re going to do without taking action is never going to get you there. You’ve got to work.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Laziness
Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:4-5, 26; 18:9; 19:15; 20:4; 21:25; 24:30-34; 26:13-16
Laziness is one of the most common themes in the book of Proverbs. Consider these thoughts:
"Lazy hands make someone poor" (10:4).
"As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him" (10:26, an indictment against the lazy worker).
"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys" (18:9).
And my favorite, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!" (6:6).
Perhaps you know someone who just never seems to want to work. Someone who always seems to be scheming how to get out of working. These proverbs don't condemn vacations and relaxation. But the point is that there comes a time when you have to get to work. This is just a handful of the verses that talk about and condemn laziness. Use a concordance and find more. Then get to work. If you're tempted to slack off this week, go outside and watch the ants.
Laziness is one of the most common themes in the book of Proverbs. Consider these thoughts:
"Lazy hands make someone poor" (10:4).
"As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him" (10:26, an indictment against the lazy worker).
"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys" (18:9).
And my favorite, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!" (6:6).
Perhaps you know someone who just never seems to want to work. Someone who always seems to be scheming how to get out of working. These proverbs don't condemn vacations and relaxation. But the point is that there comes a time when you have to get to work. This is just a handful of the verses that talk about and condemn laziness. Use a concordance and find more. Then get to work. If you're tempted to slack off this week, go outside and watch the ants.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
New Attitude, New Self, Created to be like God, Pt. 2
Ephesians 4:25-32
After encouraging the Ephesians to be honest and to deal with anger, Paul then says that they must not steal. Instead, they must do something useful with their hands. In other words, they need to work to support themselves. The first implication is to not steal from your workplace. Both the Old and New Testaments are replete with instructions on not taking what is not yours. This includes the types of embezzlement that ends up on the news. But it also means don't steal office supplies, those little things that no one will miss. It also means time, either by misreporting your work time or by using work time for non-work tasks. Paul is saying don't steal, and I think it's important to consider all the "little" ways that we can steal at work, in addition to the "big" ones.
Second, this is a reinforcement of the importance of work. Paul doesn't just say don't steal. He tells the Ephesian Christians to replace stealing with work. Working is to occupy their time and provide for their needs so that they don't need to steal.
After encouraging the Ephesians to be honest and to deal with anger, Paul then says that they must not steal. Instead, they must do something useful with their hands. In other words, they need to work to support themselves. The first implication is to not steal from your workplace. Both the Old and New Testaments are replete with instructions on not taking what is not yours. This includes the types of embezzlement that ends up on the news. But it also means don't steal office supplies, those little things that no one will miss. It also means time, either by misreporting your work time or by using work time for non-work tasks. Paul is saying don't steal, and I think it's important to consider all the "little" ways that we can steal at work, in addition to the "big" ones.
Second, this is a reinforcement of the importance of work. Paul doesn't just say don't steal. He tells the Ephesian Christians to replace stealing with work. Working is to occupy their time and provide for their needs so that they don't need to steal.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day
At least for the American readers of this blog, today is Labor Day, the day when we have a holiday to remember "the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country" according to the US Department of Labor. As I was thinking about today, I thought it would be a good time to reconsider the importance of working. The Bible has strict warnings against idleness and laziness. This doesn't apply to those who cannot work because of a disability or who have lost a job and haven't been able to get a new one. But if you can work, the Bible is pretty explicit that you should work.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Why Work?
I want to pause periodically as I go through scripture to reflect on themes that are emerging from passages related to work. Today is one of those pauses.
One of the things that really stands out as I look at some of the recent posts from 1 and 2 Thessalonians and a few other places is how important it is to work and not be idle. Bible commentaries tell us that one of the major struggles that the Thessalonians faced was the temptation to do nothing as they waited for Christ's return. If Jesus was coming back, why should we spend times working, especially for those who don't like their jobs. Paul came down pretty hard on them, "if you don't work, you don't eat." In other places, Paul talks about the point of working as providing for one's family while not being a burden on others.
Everyone has days when they'd rather not be at work. Days when you would rather not deal with your boss. Days when you would rather spend that time with family. Days when you may not want to even get out of bed. Paul is saying that, in the fallen world in which we live, work is necessary, whether we want to do so or not. Remember, God told Adam that he would survive on the basis of working, which was part of Adam's curse. It's not that work itself is the curse--God wanted Adam and Eve to work the Garden even before they sinned. But perhaps the "daily grind" is one way to describe work because of God's curse on Adam. I love my job. I can't believe I get paid to do things I really like. But there are still those days that I'd much rather be doing something else. Sometimes that comes from selfishness. Perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker, "I'd rather be fishing," or similar ones. Other times, we may not want to go to work for very legitimate reasons like spending time with family or volunteering to help the needy. Those are noble ways to spend time, and scripture certainly emphasizes the importance of both. But those activities should not be excuses for not working.
Having emphasized the importance of spending time working, there's another extreme--spending too much time working. Many jobs push the envelope of a 40-hour work week, and our technology today blurs the line between work time and family time even more. Think about the last time you checked your work email while spending time with at home with family. One "answer" might be the quiet life, that Paul encourages in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. Paul argues that working and living a quiet life are not mutually exclusive goals. Another approach might be protecting the idea of a Sabbath rest, a time where you stop working. The Bible describes work as important, but certainly Paul knew when it was time to stop making tents and spend time with people around him, developing relationships with people (Timothy, for example) and planting seeds about Jesus. If you've been overworking, perhaps you need to adjust your priorities with regard to your time.
So working too little and working too much are both extremes to be avoided. The goal is a search for balance. If you think about Paul's "job" as a tentmaker, it wasn't really what defined him. He did it to pay the bills, so to speak. To provide for himself and not be a burden on others. But his workplace ambition may have been tempered by his understanding of his place in the world and what was really important. If you are tempted by idleness, are you a burden on others? How can you provide for yourself? (But again, I think these passages refer to those who could work but weren't doing so, not those who were unable to work.) Or, if you are struggling with being a workaholic, consider how God would want you to define yourself.
One of the things that really stands out as I look at some of the recent posts from 1 and 2 Thessalonians and a few other places is how important it is to work and not be idle. Bible commentaries tell us that one of the major struggles that the Thessalonians faced was the temptation to do nothing as they waited for Christ's return. If Jesus was coming back, why should we spend times working, especially for those who don't like their jobs. Paul came down pretty hard on them, "if you don't work, you don't eat." In other places, Paul talks about the point of working as providing for one's family while not being a burden on others.
Everyone has days when they'd rather not be at work. Days when you would rather not deal with your boss. Days when you would rather spend that time with family. Days when you may not want to even get out of bed. Paul is saying that, in the fallen world in which we live, work is necessary, whether we want to do so or not. Remember, God told Adam that he would survive on the basis of working, which was part of Adam's curse. It's not that work itself is the curse--God wanted Adam and Eve to work the Garden even before they sinned. But perhaps the "daily grind" is one way to describe work because of God's curse on Adam. I love my job. I can't believe I get paid to do things I really like. But there are still those days that I'd much rather be doing something else. Sometimes that comes from selfishness. Perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker, "I'd rather be fishing," or similar ones. Other times, we may not want to go to work for very legitimate reasons like spending time with family or volunteering to help the needy. Those are noble ways to spend time, and scripture certainly emphasizes the importance of both. But those activities should not be excuses for not working.
Having emphasized the importance of spending time working, there's another extreme--spending too much time working. Many jobs push the envelope of a 40-hour work week, and our technology today blurs the line between work time and family time even more. Think about the last time you checked your work email while spending time with at home with family. One "answer" might be the quiet life, that Paul encourages in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. Paul argues that working and living a quiet life are not mutually exclusive goals. Another approach might be protecting the idea of a Sabbath rest, a time where you stop working. The Bible describes work as important, but certainly Paul knew when it was time to stop making tents and spend time with people around him, developing relationships with people (Timothy, for example) and planting seeds about Jesus. If you've been overworking, perhaps you need to adjust your priorities with regard to your time.
So working too little and working too much are both extremes to be avoided. The goal is a search for balance. If you think about Paul's "job" as a tentmaker, it wasn't really what defined him. He did it to pay the bills, so to speak. To provide for himself and not be a burden on others. But his workplace ambition may have been tempered by his understanding of his place in the world and what was really important. If you are tempted by idleness, are you a burden on others? How can you provide for yourself? (But again, I think these passages refer to those who could work but weren't doing so, not those who were unable to work.) Or, if you are struggling with being a workaholic, consider how God would want you to define yourself.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Faith and Works at Work
James 2:14-26
Some consider this passage as the central idea for the book of James. How do faith and works relate to each other? The implications of that question are beyond the scope of this blog, but James' statements of demonstrating faith is certainly relevant to our discussion. "What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? ... I will show you my faith by what I do." One of the ways we demonstrate our faith is through the way we act at work. As God moves in our lives, it should affect us beyond what happens on Sundays. This passage argues that, perhaps more strongly than anywhere else in the Bible.
Some consider this passage as the central idea for the book of James. How do faith and works relate to each other? The implications of that question are beyond the scope of this blog, but James' statements of demonstrating faith is certainly relevant to our discussion. "What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? ... I will show you my faith by what I do." One of the ways we demonstrate our faith is through the way we act at work. As God moves in our lives, it should affect us beyond what happens on Sundays. This passage argues that, perhaps more strongly than anywhere else in the Bible.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Devote Yourself to Doing What is Good
Titus 3:14
I used the words of the verse as the title of this post because there's no better way to say it. Whether in the job you choose or the tasks you spend your time completing while at that job, devote yourself to doing what is good. Why? The rest of the verse provides the reasion--"[to] provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” Whether within or outside of the workplace, spend your time doing good to provide for your needs and to provide purpose for your life.
I used the words of the verse as the title of this post because there's no better way to say it. Whether in the job you choose or the tasks you spend your time completing while at that job, devote yourself to doing what is good. Why? The rest of the verse provides the reasion--"[to] provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” Whether within or outside of the workplace, spend your time doing good to provide for your needs and to provide purpose for your life.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Work as a Means to Provide for Your Family
1 Timothy 5:8
If nothing else, your work is a means to provide food, clothing, and shelter for your family. Paul compares someone who neglects to provide for family to an unbeliever. Pretty strong words. Again, I don't think this admonition is directed at those who have been laid off and are looking for work or at those who cannot work because of illness or injury. I believe Paul's words are for those who can work but choose not to do so.
There is further warning in verse 13. Though not specifically about work, Paul says that idleness leads to gossip and being a "busybody." Get to work--don't make others suffer because you choose to sit at home.
If nothing else, your work is a means to provide food, clothing, and shelter for your family. Paul compares someone who neglects to provide for family to an unbeliever. Pretty strong words. Again, I don't think this admonition is directed at those who have been laid off and are looking for work or at those who cannot work because of illness or injury. I believe Paul's words are for those who can work but choose not to do so.
There is further warning in verse 13. Though not specifically about work, Paul says that idleness leads to gossip and being a "busybody." Get to work--don't make others suffer because you choose to sit at home.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Work or Eat
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
One of the Thessalonians' struggles was the temptation to stop work and do nothing while waiting for Jesus to come back. Paul warns against this, instructing them to stay away from idleness. The high point of the passage is verse 10: "If someone will not work, that person shall not eat." The application seems clear: work.
One reason to work is so that you are not a burden to others. Paul echoes his first letter to the Thessalonians almost verbatim as he describes his example of working in verse 8 "so that we would not be a burden to you." Of course, Paul is not talking about those who are unable to work, either because of lack of ability or lack of jobs available. Paul seems to refer to those who choose not to work, the "busybodies" in verse 11. Quite simply, if you are able, you should be trying to work.
One of the Thessalonians' struggles was the temptation to stop work and do nothing while waiting for Jesus to come back. Paul warns against this, instructing them to stay away from idleness. The high point of the passage is verse 10: "If someone will not work, that person shall not eat." The application seems clear: work.
One reason to work is so that you are not a burden to others. Paul echoes his first letter to the Thessalonians almost verbatim as he describes his example of working in verse 8 "so that we would not be a burden to you." Of course, Paul is not talking about those who are unable to work, either because of lack of ability or lack of jobs available. Paul seems to refer to those who choose not to work, the "busybodies" in verse 11. Quite simply, if you are able, you should be trying to work.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Ambition
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
In my own career, I have to admit to the temptation to want the headline accomplishments, the temptation to want everyone in my field to know my name, to respect me, to look up to me. I think it's very natural to want to be known as the best at what we do. And along with that, I think there may be a natural tendency to admire those who are in the limelight, particularly those with similar vocations to our own. But listen to what Paul says about ambition: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” How many times have you made it your ambition to lead a quiet life, a life out of the spotlight? How many times have you striven to mind your own business? Does this praise manual labor above white collar jobs where you're less likely to "work with your hands?" I don't have an answer for that last question, particularly in our age when more and more jobs are not working with your hands. But I think the point may be in the "so" at the end. "So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." Lead a quiet life and mind your own business so that nonchristians will respect you. Take care of your own job and work with your hands so that you won't be a burden on anyone. Again, I think this is stressing the importance of work above idleness. I think the take away is to work in such a way that others respect you. Not the showy respect that comes with fame, but the respect that comes when coworkers see you doing what you're supposed to be doing, day in and day out.
In my own career, I have to admit to the temptation to want the headline accomplishments, the temptation to want everyone in my field to know my name, to respect me, to look up to me. I think it's very natural to want to be known as the best at what we do. And along with that, I think there may be a natural tendency to admire those who are in the limelight, particularly those with similar vocations to our own. But listen to what Paul says about ambition: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” How many times have you made it your ambition to lead a quiet life, a life out of the spotlight? How many times have you striven to mind your own business? Does this praise manual labor above white collar jobs where you're less likely to "work with your hands?" I don't have an answer for that last question, particularly in our age when more and more jobs are not working with your hands. But I think the point may be in the "so" at the end. "So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." Lead a quiet life and mind your own business so that nonchristians will respect you. Take care of your own job and work with your hands so that you won't be a burden on anyone. Again, I think this is stressing the importance of work above idleness. I think the take away is to work in such a way that others respect you. Not the showy respect that comes with fame, but the respect that comes when coworkers see you doing what you're supposed to be doing, day in and day out.
Warn Those who are Idle
1 Thessalonians 5:14
As a follow-up to that last post about the importance of work, Paul instructs the Thessalonians to “warn those who are idle.” Again, this seemed to be a common problem for them, and Paul is stressing the importance of work. I don' t think that this is a critique of legitimate vacation time, of time to rest from work. I think it refers who are always on vacation. Perhaps an interesting question would be to consider those who have retired from a career. What kind of work can you be doing? When my dad retired, he said he never knew there were so many jobs to do and not get paid for. But certainly there are those who retire and consider themselves done with work and service for others. This might be a call to action for those people. Don't be idle. Even if you are no longer pursuing a career, the Bible never mentions (in my knowledge) a time when you are excused from work in general, particularly in the sense of service for other people.
As a follow-up to that last post about the importance of work, Paul instructs the Thessalonians to “warn those who are idle.” Again, this seemed to be a common problem for them, and Paul is stressing the importance of work. I don' t think that this is a critique of legitimate vacation time, of time to rest from work. I think it refers who are always on vacation. Perhaps an interesting question would be to consider those who have retired from a career. What kind of work can you be doing? When my dad retired, he said he never knew there were so many jobs to do and not get paid for. But certainly there are those who retire and consider themselves done with work and service for others. This might be a call to action for those people. Don't be idle. Even if you are no longer pursuing a career, the Bible never mentions (in my knowledge) a time when you are excused from work in general, particularly in the sense of service for other people.
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.
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.
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