Bible Reading: 2 Chron. 27; 2Thes. 3:10-18.
“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” – 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV).
God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. He enjoined us to be diligent in our vocation. We need to teach our youth the need to work hard to enjoy the comfort of life. So many of them are looking for easy way out and will like to have manna from heaven.
Some months ago, one of the youth in our church was granted an interest free loan to commence a small business to supplement his income. After getting the loan, instead of using it to buy the camera he proposed, he took the money to a Ponzi scheme ( a fraudulent money market scheme) with the hope that he would get 10% flat interest in 30days. Of course, he lost the money!
What makes this painful is that before he collected the loan, we held a wealth building session in the church and I remember this young man asked about the Ponzi scheme and he was told why no one should invest in it given the fraudulent nature of the scheme.
This is an example of what a number of our youth chase. They are after miracle-wealth and they forget that God will only bless the work of your hands. And if you have no work then the blessing of God in your life will not yield any wealth. No wonder Apostle Paul told the Thessalonian church in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV): “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
So as Christians, we need to wake up from our slumber and recognise the need for hard work as the basis for wealth creation and societal recognition. Proverbs 22:29 KJV (states): “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
If God worked and we are created in the image of our God, then laziness is ungodly and all true believers must ensure we work hard to fulfill our destiny. No wonder James in James 2:20 (KJV) states clearly: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
Action Point: Please work very hard on your chosen vocation and ask God to bless your work generously.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero