A DIRTY FOUR-LETTER WORD – Pt 2

II Thessalonians 3:6-16

In last week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we noticed that PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT THE RESPECTABILITY TO WORK. Work was ordained by God. There’s nothing wrong with getting your hand dirty. There’s nothing wrong with having sweat on your brow. God designed it and demonstrated it Himself.

If work is designed and demonstrated by God Himself, then we ought to embrace it with all our might.

II. PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK—vs 10 “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work neither should he eat.”

I spent a lot of time in last week’s “Challenging Concepts” showing that “work” is a very respectful activity, which had been ordained by God. Since that is so, then we are responsible to fulfill that activity. The Apostle Paul does not mince any words when dealing with this matter. As Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say, he puts it “. . .down where the rubber meets the road.”

I believe that the Word of God teaches that if a person is able-bodied and able-mineded, they are expected by God to do the activity of working. That is God’s anti-poverty program. There are too many on our welfare rolls who should be out in the work force.

The Word of God has much to say about the subject of your responsibility in working. Let me give you some:

A. Work And LIFE – verse 10 “. . . if any would not work neither should he eat.” To put it bluntly, Paul is saying “If you don’t work, you don’t deserve to live.” If I want life, I must do what is necessary to sustain that life.
Plato: “He that would eat the nut must crack the shell.” That’s pretty good philosophy.

As a pastor I’ve seen some very needy people and my church, and I personally, have helped many of those and have received a tremendous blessing out of it. But on the other hand, I have seen some very sorry people who were not willing to do a day’s work but wanted somebody else to give them a handout. Paul has some very strong words for those kinds of people. You don’t work, you don’t eat.

I have a responsibility to myself to work because my life has been given by God and I have to be a good steward of that precious gift.

B. Work And Loved Ones – Paul wrote in I Timothy 5:8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

God expects every responsible person to work and support his or her dependents. There is nothing more precious than a person’s family. Before God created any other organization, He created the family. The family is precious to Him. So He directed Paul to write a stern command here in I Timothy 5. If a capable person does not support their family by working, they are pretty low; they are worse than an infidel or an unbeliever.

This verse seems to imply there is no motivation to take care of his own. I heard about a jockey that had a special way of motivating his horse: “Roses are red, violets are blue, horses that don’t run are made into glue.” Maybe some motivation like that might help some of those dead beats who have walked away from their wives and children; or a woman who has abandoned her child.

God is concerned that we as believers should use the avenue of work to fulfill our responsibility to our loved ones.

C. WORK AND HONESTY – Ephesians 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

Paul makes a contrast between stealing and working. He implies that stealing is the outcome of refusing to do an honest day’s work. In II Thessalonians 3:11 there are three types of persons mentioned. Notice the verse again, “For we heard that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.” He mentions those who walk “disorderly.” He then mentions who are “working not at all.” Finally he mentions the “busybodies.”

I believe one of the greatest reasons for the increase in crime in our country today is because of disorderly, non-working busybodies.” Look on the street corner and on the welfare rolls. There are too many able bodies who are too lazy to do a day’s work.

Again, I know there are some who are unable to work. I understand that. But too many people know how to manipulate the system to get a check from the government. They need to learn to fulfill their God given responsibility to WORK.

I read this prayer of a little boy: “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Now I get me up to work; I pray the Lord I may not shirk, if I should die before tonight, I pray the Lord my work’s all right.”

I feel it’s a privilege to do what God has ordained – Work. II Thessalonians 3:13 “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”


In next week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will notice THE RELIABILITY OF THE WORKER.

That’s my view; how about you?