Practicing Your Righteousness

I’d like to discuss the righteousness of three men found in Scripture – Noah, Job, and Daniel. These men, who lived so long ago, are still godly examples for us as Christians today.

There is a righteousness that is imputed to the believer as part of his justification by faith in Christ.  It is the righteousness of God, and although it does not belong to the believer, it is attributed to him. But there is also a righteousness that is imparted to the believer as part of his sanctification, which is also by faith. This has to do with the righteous acts of the saints, practiced by faith in God through the power of the Holy Spirit, for which God confers, gives, or bestows righteousness to the saint for his or her godliness.  This second kind of righteousness that is imparted in connection with sanctification is the kind I would like to focus on right now.

There are many references to this practical righteousness in the New Testament, but a few examples will suffice. For instance, Jesus taught us the level of righteousness required to enter the kingdom of heaven. "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Mat 5:20).  While the scribes and Pharisees had a righteousness that comes from the Law, they did not have God’s righteousness that comes by faith in Christ. But they also practiced their righteousness before men to be noticed by them. Therefore, the Lord said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 6:1).  Immediately after saying this, he gave three examples of practical righteousness, namely prayer, giving to the poor, and fasting.

Once you have been justified by faith and received the gift of God’s righteousness in Christ, you must practice your righteousness.  That involves doing righteous deeds, such as prayer, fasting, worship, Bible reading, giving tithes and offerings, not stealing, not accepting bribes, serving in the Church, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting those in prison, and giving to the poor (Mt 25:35-36).  The Lord calls this "your righteousness."

In Revelation, John mentioned the reward the saints receive for this practical righteousness.  He wrote: “Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Rev 19:6-8).

As Matthew Henry said, "God takes notice of the good that is in his servants, to their honor and benefit."

Don’t Trust in Your Own Righteousness
Now I would like to turn to the Old Testament for some passages about practical righteousness, which teach us more about what it is and warn us not to trust in it. Ezekiel wrote:

"But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period-- if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD. (Eze 18:5-9).

In that passage, we learn that when a man is righteous and practices righteousness, then He is considered righteous in God’s sight.  Several examples of righteous deeds are given. However, listen to the following warning against trusting in your own righteousness:

"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.' "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. "But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. "None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live. "Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right. "When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. "But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. (Eze 33:12-19).

While a sinner who turns from his sin and serves God in righteousness will live, the same cannot be said of the righteous man who commits sin. The Lord says a righteous man will not be able to save his life by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin. Put differently, a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin. When the righteous man trusts in his righteousness such that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; rather he will die in that same iniquity of his that he has committed. This is the danger of getting comfortable once you become justified as a Christian, and thinking that from now on the matter of sin will never have any bearing on your salvation.

Job was a righteous man

Job is a good example of a righteous man.  He was a man of integrity, who prayed and interceded diligently for his children, feared God, and turned from evil.  “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:1)

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." (Job 1:8).

"As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (Jas 5:10-11).

Job was godly, harmless, true, abstaining from all evil, and clinging to innocence.  He endured suffering patiently and practiced righteousness.

Noah was a righteous man
Another excellent example of a righteous man was Noah.

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’"  (Gen 6:5-7)

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:8-9)

“Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.’” (Gen 7:1).

“Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.” (Gen 7:5)

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Heb 11:7)

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;”  (2Pe 2:4-5)

So the Scriptures say that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time. He was a preacher of righteousness, who walked by faith with God and did according to all that the Lord commanded him.

Daniel was a righteous man

Another excellent example of a righteous man was Daniel. He prayed on his knees three times a day, even when it was illegal to do so, and the penalty for it was death. He continued as always giving thanks, making petition and supplication to God three times a day.

“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.” (Dan 6:10-11)

He refused to defile himself with the king’s meat and wine, preferring instead to fast and pray.

“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.” (Dan 1:8)

Daniel possessed an extraordinary spirit, and was known as a man who served God continually. He was faithful. Even his enemies could find neither grounds for accusation against him, nor any evidence of corruption in his conduct.

“Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, ‘We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.’" (Dan 6:3-5)

No negligence or corruption was found in him.  He was reliable and did not do anything wrong or dishonest. Daniel was an excellent example of a righteous man. By his faith, he shut the mouths of lions (Heb 11:33).

Noah, Daniel, and Job
In fact, God Himself recognized the righteousness of these three men. And it's worth noting that two of them -- Noah and Job -- lived before the Law of Moses was given, which proves that righteousness does not depend on the Law. We saw that Noah found favor with God and the Lord saved him and his whole family from the flood that destroyed the earth.  Job’s health and possessions were restored to him and God answered his prayers for his friends. Daniel had dreams and interpretations of dreams. God protected him from the mouths of the lions, and answered his prayers. The Lord also spoke to Ezekiel about these three men and their own righteousness.

“Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, “Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,” even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." (Eze 14:12-20)

The point that God was making here to Ezekiel was that when He decides to bring judgment on a country, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves.

This reminds me of when Abraham said to the Lord, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23). Abraham interceded for Lot and managed to get God to spare him from the judgment that was about to come upon Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord still brought judgment on those cities, but spared Lot and his family.

Likewise, when God has determined to bring his judgment down on a place, even the presence of these three righteous men altogether – Noah, Daniel, and Job – would not stop Him from carrying out His plan.  Those men by their righteousness would only save themselves. And in fact, Daniel was carried away into exile along with the other Hebrews when God sent the Babylonians to bring judgment on Israel during this period when Ezekiel received this message.  Daniel’s life was spared and it went well with him in captivity, partly because of his righteousness. But his presence did not spare the nation from God’s judgment.

How This Righteousness Works 
I'd like to touch briefly upon how this righteousness works, because it is such a foreign concept to most people these days in the Church. The Bible teaches us that your faith and your deeds work together and your faith is made complete by what you do (Js 2:22). James also taught, "that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (Jas 2:24).  He said our righteous deeds are part of our justification.  King Solomon referred to this as God "justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness." (1Ki 8:32; 2Ch 6:23). We are justified not merely by having a certain opinion about Christ, or profession of Him, or by believing without obeying, but by having the kind of faith that produces good works. These are works of self-denial like the ones produced by Noah, Daniel, and Job, as well as others like Abel, Abraham, Lot, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The apostle Peter said we must die to sin and live for righteousness (1 Pe 2:24). Therefore, we must sow in such a way as to receive a harvest of righteousness (Js 3:18). The one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward (Pr 11:18, NIV; Gal 6:9).

Putting it All Together
My point in all of this is that in addition to the righteousness imputed to us when we are justified by faith, which does not belong to us, but is God’s perfect righteousness, there is also a practical righteousness that is given or bestowed by God as we grow in sanctification, which is the character of Christ. This is what Jesus called “your righteousness.” The Lord said we need to practice our righteousness, and taught us how to do so in a way that pleases God. Noah, Daniel, and Job were good examples of how we as disciples of Christ should practice our righteousness. And He is coming with His reward to render to every man according to his deeds. "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” (Rev 22:12).

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. The Good Samaritan by Dan Burr of Dan Burr Illustration copyright 2013 used by permission. The Daniel in the Lions' Den painting is by Briton Rivière (1890) and is in the public domain.  The Noah painting is by Joseph Anton Koch circa 1803 courtesy Wikimedia. Painting of Job and his Friends by Ilya Repin, 1869, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice, The Righteous Will Shine Forth as the Sun, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith Works!, The Judgment Seat of Christ, The Obedience of Faith, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, and The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer. Other related articles are available on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Ebb and Flow of Ministry for the Lord

We have been based near Budapest, Hungary, serving as missionaries for nearly five years.  However, we are currently on furlough, away from the field, praying and seeking the Lord's guidance regarding where to be, and for the provision to fulfill the mission.

However, people today have various misconceptions about missionaries and some unbiblical expectations of them.  Some may expect that a missionary must stay on the field all the time and live in their host country permanently, as they did in the early days of missions during the nineteenth century.  Others may not see the need for missionary families to take time off the field.  Still others may look at a missionary’s role as if it were a job, which is very consistent and routine from week to week.  Yet in real life, a missionary’s ministry has a normal wax and wane.  Even Paul had an ebb and flow in his ministry, so it should not surprise us when missionaries experience this in their ministry. 

There was a period of three years from his conversion until his departure from Damascus (Gal.1:18)

He went from Damascus to Jerusalem, where he stayed for 15 days (Acts 9:26-29; Gal.1:18) Then he left to avoid capture, and sailed from Caesarea to the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal.1:21)

After a period ranging from 8 to 14 years, Paul traveled to Antioch with Barnabas (Acts 11:25; Gal.1:21-2:1 see below). He and Barnabas taught there at Antioch for a full year.

“And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Act 11:25-26)

Paul then traveled to Jerusalem, staying for a short time. (Acts 11:27-30; Gal.2:1). He then returned to Antioch.

After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and reported all that the Lord had done through them.  And they stayed there for a “long time,” which was probably a year or more.

“From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.” (Act 14:26-28)

When Paul went to Corinth, he initially worked with Aquila and Priscilla as a tentmaker, and every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to evangelize Jews and Gentiles.  But once his team arrived, he devoted himself exclusively to preaching. 

“After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.” (Act 18:1-5)

So he had periods of heavy travel from one place to another, periods of secular employment when he mainly evangelized on weekends, and extended periods when he stayed in one city for over a year, teaching the Word of God, such as he did in Corinth.

“And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Act 18:11)

That was in Corinth, and he did the same thing in Ephesus.

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.” (Act 19:1) “And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” (Act 19:8-10)

After his third missionary journey, he was imprisoned in Judea for 2 years.

“But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.” (Act 24:27)

When he finally arrived in Rome, he was imprisoned there for 2 more years.

“And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.” (Act 28:30-31)

There is Biblical and early church historical evidence to indicate that after his Roman imprisonment, Paul was released and traveled more, perhaps as long as four years, including a trip to Spain. (Clement of Rome in I Clement, and 2 Tim.) He later returned to Rome again, where he was eventually martyred in 64 A.D.

Putting it All Together
It’s evident that Paul’s life was a blend of periods when he stayed in one place, which sometimes lasted for years, and periods of travel abroad.  It included periods spent back at the sending Church.  Some journeys were made by choice and others were out of his control.  Even when the choice was his to make, he sometimes didn’t know where he was going next. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go” (1 Co 16:16).

This shows that he expected to stay for a while in Corinth, and possibly remain there for the winter.  It also shows that he was desirous of support from the Corinthians, since he said, “you can help me on my journey.” It also shows that he was not sure where he would go next after that, since he said, “Wherever I go.”

Likewise, when missionaries travel with their families overseas for several years, they need to have periods home on furlough, away from service on the field.  Often missionaries take furlough every year or two years for a period of months.  This is time for them to receive ministry from others, be refreshed, encouraged, share what God has done through them, and get fresh direction and support to continue their mission. Usually while they are on the field, they do not receive any pastoral care, so when they are home, it is important that the Church visit and care for them, before the time comes when they will go away overseas again for a period of time.

Therefore, from this study, we can see how the Spirit of God directed the apostle Paul’s life.  It’s like our Lord said, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Joh 3:8)

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14)

There is a normal ebb and flow that happens in the ministry of a missionary.  It’s not a job that a missionary does for forty hours a week for fifty-two weeks a year.  It’s a ministry, and the Holy Spirit directs it, not man.

If someone had tried to draw conclusions about Paul’s missionary calling coming to an end during any of his long stays in one place, such as Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Judea, or Rome, they would have been badly mistaken.  Once the Lord calls a person by His grace to be an apostle (“sent one”), he is always an apostle.  It’s the same with any calling that one may have from the Lord.  “For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). Who he is in God doesn’t depend on his geographical location. 

So I hope this has helped you to better understand the life of a missionary, so that you can better minister to them and support them.  Often missionaries have left everything to follow the call. That means they have sold their home, their earthly possessions, and they have left their professional careers, as well as their friends, family, and church, in order to obey the Great Commission.  They are not able to just jump back into their professions as if they had never left, so they still rely on support while they are off the field. 

They are not machines, but human beings, who need time away from the field.  And when they do take State side furlough, it’s not time to drop your support of them, but rather to continue it and even look for additional ways to support them further, not only financially, but also in other areas you may not have been able to offer while they were overseas.  Take an interest in them, and invite them to come and share their testimonies.  When you do it for one of the least of these brethren, you do it for Jesus.

If you are a missionary who is currently experiencing a period of ebb, be encouraged, because it does not mean God is through with you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Path of the Missionary" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: I also recommend Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ.  You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The House of Idleness

Have you ever passed by a house that is dilapidated and reflected on it? You might have wondered how it got that way. Or you may have thought to yourself, "Now that place needs to be torn down!" In fact, that's usually all that can be done with such a building when it reaches a state where it's no longer safe to inhabit. There are many reasons why a house can end up like that, but it gives us an excellent picture of idleness.

I'd like to explore God's Word to see what the Scriptures teach us about idleness.

Idleness always ends in poverty and death
There are many proverbs about it. But to stick with our word picture for a moment, I'd like to start with one in particular. Solomon wrote, "I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. 'A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,' Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man." (Pro 24:30-34).

Solomon passed by one of those properties like the one I'm talking about today. He passed by a lazy man's field, and by his vineyard, and he reflected upon it. Everything was overgrown, disorderly, in a state of disrepair, and broken down. Amazingly Solomon was able to learn something from it. He learned that idleness may start rather subtly, in a seemingly innocent way. It's insidious, but it always ends with poverty. And poverty may not approach quite so gradually. Lack can come very suddenly.

Procrastination is the mother of lack
The lazy man is called a sluggard. He is described as someone who is not willing to work. "The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work." (Pro 21:25)

He is full of excuses why he cannot work. For example, "The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!'" (Pro 22:13). The sluggard will tell you how he tried to find a job, but nobody wanted to hire him. Or he will tell you they hired him, but they never called him to tell him when to start work. Or else he will say how he started to work, but it was too hard for him. Perhaps it hurt his feet or back, or the boss was too demanding of him.

But if you try to show him the error of idleness, be careful. He believes he knows much more than you. "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer." (Pro 26:16)

It's true that there is a time for everything, and we need to learn to manage our time. We need to prioritize, because not everything can be done now. But some people have a lifestyle of procrastination. This comes from indifference, as well as a lack of motivation and discipline, which are matters of the heart.

A sluggard is like that. He'd rather procrastinate, or put off until later, what he can do right now. "The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing." (Pro 20:4). While others are plowing during harvest, he begs for help.

Procrastination is the mother of lack. If you put something off long enough, it will eventually be too late. The opportune time will pass. Then you may have nothing and be forced to beg others for help.

Work with your hands
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.” (1Th 4:11). Paul instructed believers to lead a quiet life and work with our hands.

Today there are many ways we can make ourselves useful, depending on our own unique gifts and talents. It's not important whether they require the use of your hands. What's important is that you make yourself useful according to your skills, gifts, and talents.

Beware of idleness
Paul was able to make tents. He used his hands to sew together pieces of cloth to produce a shelter for people to live in. And he often toiled night and day to support himself. He had the right to be supported by those to whom he preached. But in some cases, he knew it was more important to show them how to earn the bread they ate. That was true of the church in Thessaloniki. Paul warned them about idleness.

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” (2Th 3:6-16)

The Greek word for “undisciplined” in this passage is “ataktos” which means disorderly. Paul defines it more specifically as “idle,” which is the English word used in the NIV version, rather than “undisciplined.” From the context of this passage, Paul is clearly using the word ataktos to refer to those who are not willing to work and who are doing no work at all. In contrast to this, he shows how he did not act like that among the Thessalonians. He worked night and day to avoid being a burden to his hosts, even though he had a right to support. He said he and his team did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it. He said that he was a model for them and that this was part of the tradition (Greek, paradosis) or ordinance they received from him. Paul commanded these idle people to work in a quiet fashion and earn the food they eat. He went on to say that we should not even associate with any believer who does not obey this instruction.

Paul wrote the same thing to Timothy: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1Ti 5:8). Paul taught that anyone who does not provide for his own household has denied the faith and is worse than a non-believer. This is very serious.

So we need to have faith for our daily bread, and we need to trust the Lord to provide. But we have a part to play in the provision. We still need to work for a living. For more on that, see my previous post called God's Idea of Work.

Spiritual root of idleness
Just as there is idleness in the natural realm, there is a spiritual idleness, too. In fact, I don't think it's possible to lead an idle life without being spiritually idle. The Scriptures call this slumber, and so many people are asleep right now. This includes many people in the Church.

This was one of the problems in the church of Sardis. Jesus had a message for them through the apostle John. He said, "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you." (Rev 3:2-3)

The problem with these people was probably that they did not finish what they started. Or perhaps they did not do all they were supposed to do. Their deeds were incomplete in God's sight. One way to illustrate this is a person who plants a vineyard and begins to care for it. But at some point, he lapses into slumber and allows the vineyard to go without proper care. He let's it go, and eventually it dies. The believers in Sardis didn't realize it, but the things they had planted and the deeds they gotten started for the Lord were about to die. Jesus told them to wake up!

The apostle Paul admonished the believers in the Ephesian church not to participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. He said, "But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light." (Eph 5:13) When anything is exposed to the light, it becomes visible. Then we can all see it for what it really is. Let's call sin "sin" and stop candy-coating it or hiding it.

Paul went on to say, "For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.' "(Eph 5:14) Even we as disciples of Christ can sometimes be asleep. We need a wake up call, so that we can arise from our slumber. When we do, then Christ, who is the Light, will shine on us. Like Paul said, we've got to live as wise, not as unwise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Every day we are each given opportunities to serve the Lord. What are you doing with yours?

The Lord told us to work while it is still day, because the night comes when no man can work. He wants us to be laboring in His harvest. He's got a purpose for your life. It's harvest time! Yet so many are sleeping. Some would rather watch American Idol or some other program, rather than spend time worshiping the Lord. Often we'd rather play instead of pray. We'd rather take a holiday than share Jesus with our neighbor. The temptation is to think that someone else will do it.

But the Lord is calling the Church to wake up.

Role models of diligence
Before I close, I'd like to mention some role models of diligence in my life.

First and foremost is my father, Roger Lacroix. If anyone had an excuse to be idle, it was him! He had received injuries and contracted illnesses while he was a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany during WW II. His feet had been frostbitten, and he had toes amputated in a prison camp without anesthesia. He contracted tuberculosis in the unsanitary conditions of the prison camp. (You can read more about his experiences in The Journey of My Father, a six-part blog).

After the war, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal, and the Veterans' Administration classified him as 100 percent disabled. This meant that he could have sat back and taken a golden paycheck for the rest of his life. But instead he got a job, worked hard, and raised a family of nine children with my mother. He was on his feet daily at the United States Post Office, even though his feet hurt him. For many years, he worked early morning shifts that required him to leave the house before sunrise.

My mother, Rita Lacroix, was another great role model. She raised nine children, caring for us all. Yet she toiled day and night in the textile mills, and later in a shop, making instruments for airplanes. Her house was always clean and tidy, and her children bathed and wearing clean clothes. You can read more about her in My Mother's Going Home to Be with Jesus. She was a great role model of diligence in my life.

Another role model was Everett Wehmeyer, my Bible teacher at church in the late 1980's. He had once owned a tire store. But during his retirement, he taught the Word of God with excellence. He was a superb teacher and counselor. He took me under his wing and cared for me when I was going through a great tragedy in my own life. Then in his seventies and eighties, he continued to work as a courier, delivering packages in his pickup truck. Although he has gone on to be with the Lord, I still have great love, respect, and admiration for him.

Then there's Dr. Andrew Stenhouse, the President of Doulos Missions International (DMI). What a joy it is for me to know him and serve with him in this ministry! He could have retired many years ago to spend the rest of his earthly life in comfort and ease. But even now in his seventies, he continues to work hard as a physician. He has often worked night and day, sometimes pulling twelve to fourteen-hour shifts, and gone without sleep many times. He has cared for those in emergency rooms, and those who are dying in hospices. In addition to all this, he has taught the Word, gone on foreign missions trips, and now serves as president for an international ministry. He does all of this not because he has to, but because he loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and he loves people. He wants to serve and continue giving to others.

And finally, I think of my dear friends, Norm and Nanette. They are both diligent people. Even though they are retired from the workforce, they continue to labor for the Lord. They work night and day, managing our U.S. home office for DMI. Norm was once the manager of a major, men's retail clothing store. Later he and Nanette owned a convenience store, which they managed. But even now in his eighties, in addition to his work for DMI, Norm works part time at a retail men's clothing store. He's on his feet all day, and gladly does it. In addition to all this, they have a ministry of helps, in which they deliver bread. He and Nanette are excellent role models. What a blessing they are to us and our ministry!

Putting it all together
So idleness always ends in poverty and death. We should avoid laziness, and do something useful as productive members of society.

We still have some role models of diligence, including the apostle Paul's example, and those that God has put in our lives today. I am blessed with numerous role models of my own that have taught me the value of hard work.

The lazy person makes excuses for not working, and assumes to know better than everyone else. He or she puts off for later what can be done today. But procrastination is the mother of lack. It always leads to having nothing in the end.

We are admonished in Scripture to be diligent. We should avoid those who call themselves a brother or sister who are undisciplined and idle. Not that we should treat them as an enemy, but we should warn them.

Idleness is a fruitless work of darkness, which should be exposed by the light. In fact, it's usually tied to spiritual apathy.

If you are asleep in this sort of spiritual indifference or idleness -- if you are involved in the fruitless deeds of darkness -- you need to wake up from your slumber and Christ will shine on you. Don't waste this life!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message, you may also be interested in the other posts on this blog, available through the Home page. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.