Intentional or Idle - A Matter of Choice
The
morning after a long Thanksgiving weekend, I am ashamed to admit, I found
myself provoked by a passage of Scripture I encountered in 2 Thessalonians
3. After reading it, I penned the following phrase, "Don't Grow
Weary—Idleness Is Not a Virtue in God's Kingdom." I felt a little guilty after sitting too long
in a comfortable chair, enjoying good food, and watching hours of
football. Possibly you joined me in this
holiday tradition. When I wasn't consuming
food or sport, I filled my time with binge-watching past episodes of a popular
British crime series. Yes, it was highly
entertaining, but it held no lasting value.
If we're not careful, we might find ourselves caught in idle pursuits
without thinking about glorifying God.
As I recall my lazy weekend, I promised
myself that I would roll up my sleeves and diligently pursue what the Bible has
to say about the importance of how we spend our time. Sharing this article as we head into the busy
holiday season may seem a little crazy.
The holidays typically can overwhelm us with activities. So why on earth
might one be interested in reading an article about idle behavior? Before you conclude that I'm suggesting we're
not entitled to a bit of downtime, let me assure you that this is not the goal
of this article. There are many expressions
of idle behavior: idle hands, idle minds,
idle words, or idle hearts, to mention a few.
Although we may think of ourselves as overworked, consider other things
that might go awry when we are steeped in busyness.
God's Design for Work and Rest
From the very
beginning of time, God designed us to work. In Genesis 2:15 (ESV), we
read, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden
to work it and keep it." So as an act of creation, God
intended humanity to work. Many years
later, in Exodus, God prepared the hearts by communicating that He desired to
place boundaries around work. In Exodus
34:21 ESV, God said, man was to work six days and rest one. Unfortunately, over Thanksgiving, I got that
ratio backward.
The apostle Paul takes us back even further as he speaks through the text in Ephesians 2:10 (ESV). We see that Paul is talking about a pre-historic time before man was formed from dust; Paul reveals, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Even before birth, we were designed for work. So, we learn from these Old and New Testament passages that humanity was created for purposeful productivity and rest.
Work is An Expression of Love
The apostle
Paul later tells us that there is more to our work than meets the eye. In
Ephesians 4:28 (ESV), we see, "Let the thief no longer steal, but
rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have
something to share with anyone in need." After watching a crime series, this reinforces
the thought of honest and dishonest expressions, but let's take a moment to
think about what happens when we take time for granted or waste it in
meaningless activities. Could this be
considered stealing? As a believer, God
has called me into a role that involves serving the needs of others. In my case, this might express itself as
routine household tasks like laundry, dishes, or serving meals. In my past history, this expression was
through my occupation. Work allows us to
show respect and love for others around us.
After 42 years in public accounting and ten years serving on a non-profit
board, my husband's work was expressed primarily outside the home. But now, in retirement, he continues to
pursue productivity wholeheartedly by investing his time to serve the needs of
his family and friends.
Our Response to Work and to Those Who Work
There is a correct way to respond to the work we've been given. In Colossians
3:23-24 ESV, we see how we are to respond to work. "Whatever you
do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that
from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are
serving the Lord Christ." In a similar passage (see
Galatian 6:9 ESV), we see, "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for,
in due season, we will reap if we do not give up."
For example, in the days of the early church, as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts, we read, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (see Acts 20:35 ESV).
As I read this passage, I couldn't help
but think about the amazing people working in the medical field, especially
during this terrifying and unending pandemic season. Their profession is
hugely relevant as they serve the weak, the sick, and the dying. We should
consider how difficult it must be to maintain a positive attitude while feeling
overworked and underappreciated. In
these circumstances, could our idle words bring more harm than good? Might we consider how to encourage them with thoughts,
words, and prayers? If we stopped to think
that they might be the very last voice our loved one hears before meeting Jesus
face-to-face, how might we respond?
I was drawn to a passage
in Ecclesiastes, an expression of Solomon's wisdom given him by God. This passage shows how man's heart is inclined
to believe that working conditions determine how we respond. This is far from true. "He who observes the wind will not
sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the
way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do
not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your
seed, and at the evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will
prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good" (see
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 ESV).
The Value Placed on Work
Some religions falsely teach to place a high emphasis on works as a way
to earn favor with God. This is not how
things actually work according to the Scriptures. We don't magically complete or supplement the
work Christ accomplished on the cross.
At His death, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished!" The
work of our hands is an expression of gratitude toward what Jesus has already
accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. We can encourage one another with these words
recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV. "Therefore,
my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain."
The passage above speaks of 'abounding in the work of the Lord.' We can easily be inclined to think that the Lord's Work is represented by a spiritual ministry like preaching a sermon, teaching a Sunday School class, hosting a small group, or leading a Bible study. Or we might be inclined to think it is fulfilling the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20; however, although discipleship is essential, we cannot conclude that this is the only work we've been assigned to accomplish. Scriptures also speak of taking care of the needy and widows, and orphans. There are many expressions of the Lord's work. The attitudes by which we approach our work are intended to reflect Jesus to a lost and hopeless world.
Warnings Against Idleness
Like the passage I encountered at the
beginning of this article (2 Thessalonians 3:6-16), the book of Proverbs is
full of warnings against idle behaviors.
(See 2:24, 13:4, 19:15, 24:30-34,
and 31:27, to mention a few).
Proverbs 16:1-3 (ESV) also tells us, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established."
We know that we were designed to be dependent beings. So wherever we find ourselves serving, let us pray this doxology found in Psalm 90:17 (ESV), "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands…; yes, establish the work of our hands."
A Time of Harvest
There are many signs in our world today that we are nearing harvest
time. We must be mindful that the
gospels reveal, "The harvest is plentiful, and the laborers are few"
(see Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2). The apostle
Paul reminds a young pastor how to lead his congregants, "And let our people learn to devote themselves to
good works, so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful" (see Titus 3:14 ESV).
Taking a journey through Paul's life, we see an excellent example of how diligently this apostle responded to the Lord's calling upon his life. Paul humbled himself as a bondservant and lived a life of submission. So much so that in Romans 1, Paul said he was under obligation. In Galatians 2:20 (ESV), we see how Paul defines his life. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul recognizes the purpose for his work when he says, "For to this end we toil and strive because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe" (see 1 Timothy 4:10 ESV).
How We Seize the Day is Important
The world wants to fill us with philosophies
for a good life like the Roman poet Horace proclaimed 'carpe diem,' which we understand
to mean 'seize the day.' This phrase is focused on living life for the sheer
enjoyment of it. Instead, let's devote ourselves to Christ by following the
advice Paul gives us in Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV). "Look
carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use
of the time because the days are evil." The world is full of idle hands, idle
minds, idle words, and idle hearts. We
are called to be set apart. This means
we are called to work with our hands, be mindful, watch our words, and engage
our hearts.
The author of Hebrews tells us, "Though we
speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better
things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so
as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in
serving the saints, as you still do."
Comments
Your sharing showed me an amazing orchestra of Our creator to creation in melodic communication of sharing.
It demonstrates Christ centered, His Word, The Word, living and breathing Holy Spirit thoughts shared amongst us!
Thank you.