A Hard Habit To Break

"For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."
2 Thessalonians 3:10-15

There Word is telling us here, through Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that work is good, and that everyone should work and not be what we use to call a "mooch": one who takes advantage of other peoples resources so that they don't have to use their own, and not necessarily to the liking of the people whose resources are being taken advantage of. Paul says, "If he won't work, he won't eat." Now, it doesn't say if he cannot work, if he is disabled and physically unable to work...." No. He says if he won't work. It implies that it is someone who can work, but simply will not. He is talking about willingness here, not ability. Speaking through these verses, several military terms are used. The word for "commanded," and "command" is a military command for an order that comes down from a superior and is expected to be obeyed. The word for "disorderly" there in v. 11 means "to break ranks." Paul says, "We hear that there are some among you who will not work, and have broken ranks and won't work, and now have become busybodies." The word "busybodies" means "gossips." I know a few of those, and sadly, most of them are in the church. We Christians need to get a handle on our tongues. It is destroying works and churches that have begun by the work of the Holy Spirit. I sure don't want to be the one to stand before God on judgment day and give an account of why I let my words be used to destroy a work of the Holy Spirit. God have mercy on us.

However, this whole passage, while focused on working or not, has the undercurrent of fraternizing with people who gossip. In v. 12, Paul tells us that we should work quietly and eat our own bread. This means we should mind our own business, and not sit around the table with gossipers, who will talk about anything and anybody, and are not honoring to the Lord and to the kingdom. Eat your own food, not the gossip monger's. Then comes the encouragement, beloved. Paul tells us to not grow weary in doing good. I know there are times when it seems like you are beating your head against the wall, or the field you are trying to plow is made of rock, and you aren't even scratching the surface. Do not grow weary in doing good, beloved, for someday we will receive our reward. And our reward is not for results. It is for our faithfulness to what God has called us to do.

Finally, beloved, we are told to take note of the gossipers, and do not keep company with them. I had to do this recently with someone whom I have known for years, and talked to him several times about his gossiping, and he would not relent, and so finally, in obedience to the Word of God, I had to take note of him, and not keep company with him. I had to back away from him. This move has been misunderstood by some, and I have suffered criticism, sometimes severe, because of it. But sometimes, there is a price for being obedient (to the Word), instead of being expedient. Beloved, if you have to choose man's way or God's way, always go with God, because even though man may not understand and criticize, it is temporary and of this world. God's way is eternally rewarding, and will always be the better way. We are to take note of this person, and do not keep company with him. We are not to put him out of the fellowship. We still count him as a brother, not an enemy. If his heart is tender, he will repent and be restored. If his heart is hard, he will eventually leave.

Beloved, sometimes this seems like a hard teaching, to have to disassociate yourself with a friend. But remember, God is sovereign, not man. Man's opinion means nothing to God. God's opinion means everything. Trust in the Lord, and keep your chin up, and your tongue in check. Shalom.