Labor in Love
Paul was someone who labored diligently in his service to the Lord. In 1 Thessalonians 2:9 he writes, “For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. And in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 he writes, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle...” And again in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-7 he writes, “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you.”
So what does it look like to be idle and what does it look like to labor for the Kingdom?
What is Idleness?
“Take a nap.” These are words that Dallas Willard spoke when he came to Open Door some years back. The words never left me. To be honest, those words really bothered me and I still struggle with them at times.
I have always thought of idleness as being unproductive (down time) such as taking a nap or doing something with no value or purpose just for entertainment. “Idle” in the case of 1 Thessalonians 5:14 is also translated as “unruly” in the KJV. The Greek word ataktos, according to the Enhanced Strong's Lexicon, means being inordinate or out of ranks. Again, in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-7, the word idle is the Greek word ataktōs and translated as disorderly in the KJV.
Proverbs 24:33-34 says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” And Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
As the commentary notes, the context of Proverbs 24:33-34 is referring to slothfulness or laziness. Slothfulness is defined as “an inertia about the keeping of the commandments of the gospel” according to one source and “a disinclination to work or exert yourself” in another source. The Enhanced Strong's Lexicon defines slothful as used in Proverbs 14:24 as deceit, false or treachery.
According to the Word of God, idleness and laziness are an intentional ignoring of the commandments of God and a knowing failure to engage in what God has given you to do. While anything done to extreme (such as watching excessive T.V.) is not good for someone and falls into idleness or laziness as it is escaping what God has given you to do, everyone needs some 'down time” that is spent enjoying oneself and relaxing.
What Does It Look Like to Labor for The Kingdom?
E.M. Bounds notes, John Fletcher would sometimes pray all night with great earnestness. He goes on to quote Samuel Rutherford who says, “Therefore dig deep, and sweat and labor and take pains for him, and set by as much time in the day for faith as you can, He will be won in the labor.” E.M. Bounds also writes, “But our great lack is not... that we know too much, but that we do not meditate on God and His word and watch and fast and pray enough.”
I have seen incredible fruit from the lives of people who are willing to watch, fast and pray in a devoted and committed way to God and His purposes. Young people passionate about God and full of the fruit and the power of the Spirit. One of the last times I went to the IHOP, a young boy, not even in High School, prophesied over me from the Word of God and then prayed for me. I was amazed. It was exactly what God was speaking to me in that season of my life. His whole Bible was worn and highlighted from spending time in it. It wasn't worn like he was trying to prove how spiritual he was, but it was obvious he had a deep and genuine love for the Word of God that kept him in it daily.
On the other hand, I have also seen bad fruit from the lives of others who have labored in fasting in prayer with wrong motives. A woman who used to email my previous pastor for spiritual direction struggled with fasting for long periods of time. She thought God was telling her to fast and pray for extended periods of time while sleeping at night on the hard wood floor rather than her bed. It was obvious she was deeply confused and sleep deprived. It was very sad that she was not open to explore the possibility that she could be wrong.
Labor for the Kingdom of God involves faith in Christ, obedience to Christ out of love for Him, demonstrating Christ's love to others, causing their progress in faith.
Faith In Christ
In John 6:29 Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." It is our belief in Christ where labor for the Kingdom begins. Effort does not replace faith. Our labors must be out of faith in Him in order to count for the Kingdom. It is faith which pleases the Lord:
Hebrews 11:1-6 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval... And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
And so it is faith which our labor will be judged:
2 Corninthians 5:9-10 says, " Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Obedience Out of Love For Christ
Wesley writes, "Faith works, love labours, hope patiently suffers all things." As 1 Corinthians 13:7 says about love, it "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."
In an article called "Supreme Factors Which Should Motivate Us To Labor For Christ" it notes that Paul was compelled to labor for Christ because of the sacrifice Christ made for him.(1) 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."
As Life Application Study Bible Commentary notes, our service to Christ should be out of love for God and others, not out of guilt or fear.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul says to the Thessalonian believers, “We give thanks to God always for all of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father...”
The labor of love that Paul was referring to was related to standing firm under persecution according to Life Application Study Bible Commentary. The Thessalonians were under tremendous persecution for their belief in God that was resulting in many of them meeting their death. In faith in Christ and out of their love and commitment to Him, they stood strong in the midst of persecution, demonstrating Christ's love to others.
Demonstrating Christ's Love
"You raise me up to more than I can be" sings in the background. As the Life Application Study Bible Commentary notes, "it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to remain strong in faith, able to show genuine love to others and maintain our moral character even we we are being persecuted, slandered, or oppressed." It is not in our own strength or effort that we labor but in His. And out of this labor that works with Him (2 Corinthians 6:1) and not for Him, we bear fruit for the Kingdom - loving others well.
2 Corinthians 4:10-12 says, "...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life works in you."
The labor of demonstrating the love of Christ to others by manifesting Him through us involves dying to the old self. As Jesus says in John 12:24,"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Progress In Faith
Paul speaks of fruitful labors in Philippians 1:21-26 where he says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again."
Paul's labors with Christ resulted in people believing in Christ and their progress (growth of love for Christ and others). Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:5, "The whole point of what we're urging is simply love - love uncontaminated by self interest and counterfit faith, a life open to God."
The fruit from labors for the Kingdom is evident in progress of the Kingdom resulting in glory to God (not glory to self resulting from vain ambition). Paul did not please man or look to advance himself in serving others. In Galatians 1:10 Paul asks, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."
Lord, forgive me where I have had wrong ideas about what idleness looks like and what it looks like to labor in Christ for the Kingdom. Empower me to be Your servant. I long to be more fruitful in laboring for Your Kingdom.
1. http://www.coolspringsbaptist.org/sermon%20outlines/2%20Corinthians/10%20Supreme%20Factors%20Which%20Should%20Motivate%20Us%20To%20Lab.pdf
So what does it look like to be idle and what does it look like to labor for the Kingdom?
What is Idleness?
“Take a nap.” These are words that Dallas Willard spoke when he came to Open Door some years back. The words never left me. To be honest, those words really bothered me and I still struggle with them at times.
I have always thought of idleness as being unproductive (down time) such as taking a nap or doing something with no value or purpose just for entertainment. “Idle” in the case of 1 Thessalonians 5:14 is also translated as “unruly” in the KJV. The Greek word ataktos, according to the Enhanced Strong's Lexicon, means being inordinate or out of ranks. Again, in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-7, the word idle is the Greek word ataktōs and translated as disorderly in the KJV.
Proverbs 24:33-34 says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” And Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
As the commentary notes, the context of Proverbs 24:33-34 is referring to slothfulness or laziness. Slothfulness is defined as “an inertia about the keeping of the commandments of the gospel” according to one source and “a disinclination to work or exert yourself” in another source. The Enhanced Strong's Lexicon defines slothful as used in Proverbs 14:24 as deceit, false or treachery.
According to the Word of God, idleness and laziness are an intentional ignoring of the commandments of God and a knowing failure to engage in what God has given you to do. While anything done to extreme (such as watching excessive T.V.) is not good for someone and falls into idleness or laziness as it is escaping what God has given you to do, everyone needs some 'down time” that is spent enjoying oneself and relaxing.
What Does It Look Like to Labor for The Kingdom?
E.M. Bounds notes, John Fletcher would sometimes pray all night with great earnestness. He goes on to quote Samuel Rutherford who says, “Therefore dig deep, and sweat and labor and take pains for him, and set by as much time in the day for faith as you can, He will be won in the labor.” E.M. Bounds also writes, “But our great lack is not... that we know too much, but that we do not meditate on God and His word and watch and fast and pray enough.”
I have seen incredible fruit from the lives of people who are willing to watch, fast and pray in a devoted and committed way to God and His purposes. Young people passionate about God and full of the fruit and the power of the Spirit. One of the last times I went to the IHOP, a young boy, not even in High School, prophesied over me from the Word of God and then prayed for me. I was amazed. It was exactly what God was speaking to me in that season of my life. His whole Bible was worn and highlighted from spending time in it. It wasn't worn like he was trying to prove how spiritual he was, but it was obvious he had a deep and genuine love for the Word of God that kept him in it daily.
On the other hand, I have also seen bad fruit from the lives of others who have labored in fasting in prayer with wrong motives. A woman who used to email my previous pastor for spiritual direction struggled with fasting for long periods of time. She thought God was telling her to fast and pray for extended periods of time while sleeping at night on the hard wood floor rather than her bed. It was obvious she was deeply confused and sleep deprived. It was very sad that she was not open to explore the possibility that she could be wrong.
Labor for the Kingdom of God involves faith in Christ, obedience to Christ out of love for Him, demonstrating Christ's love to others, causing their progress in faith.
Faith In Christ
In John 6:29 Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." It is our belief in Christ where labor for the Kingdom begins. Effort does not replace faith. Our labors must be out of faith in Him in order to count for the Kingdom. It is faith which pleases the Lord:
Hebrews 11:1-6 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval... And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
And so it is faith which our labor will be judged:
2 Corninthians 5:9-10 says, " Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Obedience Out of Love For Christ
Wesley writes, "Faith works, love labours, hope patiently suffers all things." As 1 Corinthians 13:7 says about love, it "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."
In an article called "Supreme Factors Which Should Motivate Us To Labor For Christ" it notes that Paul was compelled to labor for Christ because of the sacrifice Christ made for him.(1) 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."
As Life Application Study Bible Commentary notes, our service to Christ should be out of love for God and others, not out of guilt or fear.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul says to the Thessalonian believers, “We give thanks to God always for all of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father...”
The labor of love that Paul was referring to was related to standing firm under persecution according to Life Application Study Bible Commentary. The Thessalonians were under tremendous persecution for their belief in God that was resulting in many of them meeting their death. In faith in Christ and out of their love and commitment to Him, they stood strong in the midst of persecution, demonstrating Christ's love to others.
Demonstrating Christ's Love
"You raise me up to more than I can be" sings in the background. As the Life Application Study Bible Commentary notes, "it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to remain strong in faith, able to show genuine love to others and maintain our moral character even we we are being persecuted, slandered, or oppressed." It is not in our own strength or effort that we labor but in His. And out of this labor that works with Him (2 Corinthians 6:1) and not for Him, we bear fruit for the Kingdom - loving others well.
2 Corinthians 4:10-12 says, "...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life works in you."
The labor of demonstrating the love of Christ to others by manifesting Him through us involves dying to the old self. As Jesus says in John 12:24,"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Progress In Faith
Paul speaks of fruitful labors in Philippians 1:21-26 where he says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again."
Paul's labors with Christ resulted in people believing in Christ and their progress (growth of love for Christ and others). Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:5, "The whole point of what we're urging is simply love - love uncontaminated by self interest and counterfit faith, a life open to God."
The fruit from labors for the Kingdom is evident in progress of the Kingdom resulting in glory to God (not glory to self resulting from vain ambition). Paul did not please man or look to advance himself in serving others. In Galatians 1:10 Paul asks, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."
Lord, forgive me where I have had wrong ideas about what idleness looks like and what it looks like to labor in Christ for the Kingdom. Empower me to be Your servant. I long to be more fruitful in laboring for Your Kingdom.
1. http://www.coolspringsbaptist.org/sermon%20outlines/2%20Corinthians/10%20Supreme%20Factors%20Which%20Should%20Motivate%20Us%20To%20Lab.pdf
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