2 Thessalonians 3:12 Lazy

2 Thessalonians 3:12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

Laziness is an easy trait to pick up. I can be easy, even for an ADHD person such as myself, to lose momentum. I am older than I used to be, and my body is betraying that age more often than it used to when it was young and vibrant. I find myself saying to myself, “I’m just too tired for that” much more often than I care to these days.

I do know that I don’t want to go through life in neutral! I want to be moving forward, even when the going gets tough, as the old saying goes. But some days my body is talking much louder than my will to move. There it is. I confessed it.

Paul, the author of this letter to the believers in Thessalonica, an ancient Greek city found in modern day Turkey, wants to bring some instruction and correction to some of these believers who have gotten a bit off track in their theology and practice. They have gotten so stuck on the return of Christ at the end of the age, that they have forgotten to live their lives in holiness and service in the meantime. They have become so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.

How we live our lives matters. Those outside the family of God are watching us. And for these believers back then, they were giving the impression that Christians were lazy freeloaders. Instead of buying in zeal for the LORD and for their fellow humans, these believers had become consumed in theological discussion and debate.

Paul’s own life became the example of a work ethic to these believers. Paul earned his own living, caring for his own needs as he lived among them. He did not want anything to get in the way of his sharing of the Gospel.

This picture of a contributing member of a society is a healthy one. Everyone contributes to the available resources for meeting the needs of others.  Everyone does their part, and thus the whole is better off for it.

Paul commands and urges them to change their work ethic. Think of that! Our work ethic is also a reflection of our spiritual ethic. Idleness in either realm affects the other realm. If we are lazy in our spiritual life, we tend to have the same attitude in the rest of our life.

Or if we think we can do it  on our own in our work life, then perhaps we practice that same attitude in our spiritual life. Lone rangers are good for a season, but we are made for community. We are made to lean in toward each other and become stronger for it.

If there is one thing this crazy virus has taught many people it is this: we need each other. We miss the connection, the together-in-this-ness of community. We are not alone in our struggles and in our triumphs. We will stand together.

And when someone is not pulling their own weight, either spiritually or economically, someone has to pay for it. Socialism just won’t work, because people are broken. The earners don’t want the burden of permanently carrying the non-earners.

And spiritual tailgaters only take from the Church, adding nothing to the true mission of Christ. They are only there to get what they can get, and are not contributing anything to the forward progress of the mission. They love the party, but aren’t willing to pay the bill!

Let us not become lazy in our pursuits, either spiritual or physical. Let us do our fare share and then some more. Let zeal be something we possess and exercise.