S1E13: Not Busy, Resting and Laziness Differentiated by God...
Muthoni Mercy Omukhango
Publisher in Africa | Authors' Manager @African Christian Authors Book Award-ACABA | Marketplace Minister | Patron at CLC Kids and Teens | Advancing God's Kingdom through literature
Did God say…??
When I finished the concept of this book, I realized that not being busy could easily be mistaken for laziness. We have established that God is a worker and He created man to work in leisure at the Garden of Eden. That even if there was no fall, man would still be working for his pleasure and that of God.?
God’s Word makes it very clear that we are instructed to work hard and put our best effort forward. There are so many Scriptures teaching us not to be lazy. One of my constant reminders to work hard and not be lazy is found in Colossians;?
And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him. Whatever may be your task, work?at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men. Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).?For he who deals wrongfully will [reap the fruit of his folly and] be punished for his wrongdoing. And [with God] there is no partiality [no matter what?a person’s position may be, whether he is the slave or the master]. Colossians 3:17, 24-25
We are encouraged to work hard, not for the reward (usually in the form of salaries and wages from men) but for the Lord. Paul charges the Colossians to expect their reward from God - the inheritance of the Kingdom which is the true reward. He reminds them of God's unbiasness - that everyone, irrespective of their positions, will receive fruit according to their work. This encourages both the employer and employee or manager and support staff to work heartily from the soul. There is no excuse for a believer to be lazy in God's Kingdom.
This call towards hard work and diligence is so important that Paul took time to appropriately guide the Thessalonians in chapter 3:6-15.?Paul charges them in the name and on the authority of Jesus Christ that they should withdraw and keep away from fellow believer who were slack in the performance of duty and were disorderly, living as a shirker and not walking in accordance with the traditions and instructions they had received from Paul and the early disciples.?
He asked them to imitate their example, as Paul and others disciples were not idle when they were in Thessalonica. He mentions in that Scriptural passage that they did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but they worked hard to avoid being a burden or impose on any of the Thessalonians for their support. They worked not because they did not have a right to such support, but they wished to set an example for the believers to follow.
Here, Paul says he gave the believers a rule – anyone who did not work should not be allowed to eat. He warned that not to be disorderly by passing their lives in idleness, doing no work, neglecting their duties and in the stead, being busy with other people’s affairs. Believers should work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities.
The wisdom-packed book of Proverbs has several passages that show cause and effect of hard work with rewards and laziness with ruin. Proverbs 6:6, 9-12; 10:4-5; 12:11, 24; 13:4; 14:23; 19:15; 20:4, 30-34; 26:15.?
Laziness Defined
The online dictionary defines laziness as the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy; idleness. This is not God’s intention for man. We have to be willing to work and use energy in the things that God leads us into.?
Laziness is sin because it denies the place of work – a concept that God created
At the beginning, we established that God put man in the garden to work and care for it (Genesis 2:15). This is despite the fact that the garden had fruit-yielding trees already planted by God. He still wanted man to use energy in the garden - the only difference with today is that there were no thistles challenging man's hard work. If we entertain anything contrary to this original intent, then we are in violation of God’s plan for us.?
Not resting is also sin because it denies the place of Sabbath rest – a concept that God created
After working for six days, God rested on the seventh day and also instructed man to do the same. When you are resting in obedience to God’s instructions, you are in obedience and thus worship to God.??
The fulfillment in this life is as a result of obedience to God. The six days He commands us to work, we should work. The days He commands us to rest, we should rest. While some believers believe that Sabbath is on Saturday and others on Sunday, the foundation is on ensuring we rest.
Obedience demonstrates our faith and trust in God as our provider and sustainer
God's providence and sustenance is the original concept of relationship between man and God from the beginning. Him being the created puts Him in a position of all-knowing including knowing what is best for you and me. It means that when we are in obedience to Him when He says go or stay, we demonstrate that we trust Him.
Imagine if you turned your microwave on to run two minutes to warm your cup of tea and it instead adjusts to one minute or five minutes? It would be saying to you that it does not trust you - that you don't know what you are doing. This example is not sufficient to explain our obedience to God as you did not create the microwave, but it comes close! If the microwave keeps adjusting the time against your instructions, you will have to do away with it and get a new one. Its disobedience takes away that trust relationship between you two.
While God will never do away with us, examples from Scriptures show a drawing closer to a strong bond between God and men or women who walked in great obedience to God. Enoch, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, Abraham, David, Mary, Jesus, Paul, Peter... These are examples of people who followed God with great abandon and in return, God made them great.
If today we are instructed to rest, even in the midst of a busy schedule or crisis in life, we should do it out of obedience to God. It becomes our way of telling God that we trust Him to provide and sustain us. He is well able to do it whether we are in Egypt (slavery for 400 years) or in the wilderness (40 years of retraining to worship God) or in the promised land (flowing with milk and honey).
领英推荐
What has God said to you today about rest?
Like, comment, share and subscribe on LinkedIn, YouTube, Anchor Podcast, Facebook and my website - muthoni mukhango. I appreciate your engagement in restoring the heart of worship in our daily work.
Excerpt from the book Too Busy for Worship by Muthoni Omukhango available at?www.muthoniomukhango.kenyaclc.org
Did you miss previous articles? Find all the Episodes in this Series - A journey of recovery from toiling (modern day workaholism) to working (as God intended):
S1E8:?Taking up the easy yoke
Extra:?Pause: How are you doing?
S1E13: Not Busy, Resting and Laziness Differentiated by God...
S1E14: Re-learn How to Rest in God According to His Will