Title: Work is as sacred as prayer
2 Thessalonians (8) Work is as sacred as prayer (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12)
< Beware of misuse of faith >
One of the most important things to watch out for in life of faith is ‘misuse of faith’. It is a misuse of faith to believe that you will get rich while wasting, that you will be healthy without restraint of food, that you will drive harshly and that God will protect you from accidents. It is also a misuse of faith to say that there is no need to buy insurance or save money just because you have a lot of faith. Faith does not promote indolence or indulgence.
Making plans for the future is not an act of faith. Living without measures for believing in God is not faith to trust in God, but rather indulgence that tests God. Financial difficulties often arise from not managing expenses. It is a false belief to spend more than you earn and easily scratch your card and say “God will give you a way to live!”
Always spend within the scope of your income and use sparingly when you need to, but use it boldly when you need to. Saving is not just about living well in the future. No matter how much you save, once God blocks the way, you lose everything. Saving is not only done to live well, but to practice an orderly life, prepare for the future, and spend it on a holy vision.
Rockefeller told us to save 10%, tithe 10%, bail out 10%, and live on the remaining 70%. Ask for the grace and power to live even that much, and don't just believe in words, but have right faith armed with devotion and self-control. When there is such a belief, a worthwhile life will be given, and the work of all things working together for good will appear.
<Work is as sacred as prayer>
The Apostle Paul tells the Thessalonians to stay away from brethren who act lazy (v. To be lazy is to be chaotic (verse 7). Why did the Apostle Paul missionary team work hard and work day and night? It was because he tried not to cause trouble by getting food for free (verse 8). The Apostle Paul also set the example of working in his actions, but he also strongly exhorted him not to eat if he did not want to work (verse 10). These words show how much the Apostle Paul placed great importance on work.
At that time, some church members did not work lazily with an eschatological doctrine, but rather, “Jesus is coming soon, so what are you doing?”, confusing the values and creating work (verse 11). Usually, people who don't work cause problems and confuse the community. That is why the Apostle Paul exhorts us to find food for ourselves and eat while quietly doing what we have to do (verse 12). In general, people who have a busier mouth than their hands are noisy and show great respect for even a little work. Be a busy person rather than a busy person all the time.
There are many people who want to earn money easily and play and eat comfortably. It's a thief symbol. However, even among the Thessalonians at that time, there were members who had a thief symbol who did not work and only caused trouble to others, saying that the end was imminent. However, even if the end comes tomorrow, believers must be faithful to today's work. And when you work, you basically have to work to be self-sufficient, but don't end there, you should work to help others more.
Of course, sometimes playing is also necessary. But don't try to play too much. Having work is actually a blessing, not a curse. There was also work in the Garden of Eden. Because the punishment for sin was that you had to work for the rest of your life to eat the fruit (Genesis 3:17), people misunderstood work as the result of sin, but in fact, work existed even before the Fall. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it (Genesis 2:15). Work is a God-given instrument of blessing for happiness.
Jesus said, “The Father works, and I work” (John 5:17). Work is as sacred as prayer. So, pray hard and work hard. Always remember the blessing principle that you reap what you sow, and have an honest appetite to get what you sweat. Also, whatever you do, do not do anything that harms your soul or that is disliked by God, and cherish small things, but no matter what, do not break the week because of work.
People usually think of the Sabbath as a day to stop working and rest, but there is a big difference in concepts between 'stop work' and 'sabbath'. The true definition of rest is not ‘doing no work’, but ‘doing holy works’. You must do holy things to give real peace of mind. As such, prepare for tomorrow's blessings by working hard when you work, resting hotly when you are resting, and doing holy work related to God's work especially when you are resting.