"If a man will not work, he shall not eat." -- 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Did Paul start the tea party?  He parts with Jesus here in terms of being concerned about survival.  Jesus says basically not to worry-- God will take care of that.  Paul, on the other hand, conditions survival on the participation in the work force.  But some context is in order here.  It was important to Paul to make sure that the churches that were collecting offerings for his ministry understood that it was not to pad his pockets.  Rather, it was to support the mission of spreading the gospel, in which he worked tirelessly.  In addition to working at that, he was also a tent maker, earning more money to support himself and the cause.  He was not above work, and wanted to make sure his church members followed that model. 

Readings:  Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..." -- Psalm 84:10

This verse inspired one of the most sung contemporary worship songs around.  Listen, meditate, worship.

Peace.

Readings:  Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15

"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord." -- Jeremiah 23:16

Who can you believe these days?  News outlets are unashamedly biased.  Religious leaders come in all flavors and interpret Scripture differently.  Corporations spin their messaging through conglomerated media.  New scientific findings come out regularly, debunking old science that had long been established as "sound".  We are losing our grip on our ability to trust and wonder now who the authorities are.  And so no longer is it okay to go along with the crowd and assume that what you're told is truth.  You have to do your own work and discover it for yourself.  And just when you think you have it, it will elude you once again.  Now that's the truth.

Readings:  Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you..." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:12

Conduct is born of the mind first.  Actions are often preceded by thoughts.  Great ideas lead to great changes, but there are two things that can botch the realization of a great idea: acting on the idea too soon, and not acting on it at all.

Say you want to start a business.  It can be any business.  You have no plan, no clients, no sure idea of what your business would be, and no savings built up to cover your living expenses while you launch it.  To quit your job to work on it would be a bad idea.  It's too soon.  It's not time.  You need to plan before you execute.  The other side of the coin is not to act at all.  Say you have tons of ideas... and they're great ideas... but that's all they ever remain because you never act on them.   Our deeds determine our outcomes.

I believe God inspires us to not just think certain ways, but to act in certain ways.  The trick is knowing the right time to act and then having the courage to step out and act at that right time.  One of the best ways to go about that is to set realistic goals and plan out the action steps to those goals that will get you there.  Then you go about taking small achievable steps EVERY DAY toward turning your ideas and God's inspirations to realities in your life.  Plan your deeds and be diligent in their execution.

Readings:  Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-19; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:7b-10

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Prior to the industrial revolution, we were an agrarian society.  We worked our fields, grew our crops, and raised our families to work together for our sustenance.  Progress "improved" our situation.  Men were led to the cities to provide labor for the factories and were paid a wage on which they could survive... provided they could work another day for another dollar.  Progress continued and we moved from a production economy to a service economy where cognitive work was deemed of higher value.  We are in transition once again and while we still labor on assembly lines, and provide services, we are entering a new dimension where cognition and creativity together will define work more than ever.  So how does work today reflect the work of the agrarian age in which the Bible was written?  What would Paul say to us today using this same verse?

Readings:  Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-7a 

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." -- Psalm 80:3, et al.

This refrain contained in this psalm is one that can echo within us at all times. When life gets crazy and things are out of alignment, and our souls long for healing and better days, it's right to turn to God and seek restoration.  For when the face of God shines upon us, to see it we must turn to him.  When we turn to him, we have righted ourselves and are ready to move in the right direction.  If you want restoration, you must readjust and realign.  Then move ahead in his direction.

Readings:  Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." -- Proverbs 24:33-34

I just read the other day how taking naps is supposed to be good for your brain and your health and your memory... I wonder if there are any companies out there who allow employees to nap?  For a healthier society, it may be a good idea.  But we fight a strong tradition that manifested itself in modern times through what has been termed the "Protestant work ethic".  It draws on the notion of this proverb and encourages us to live lives of thrift and productivity through hard work.  Problem is, I don't know if as individuals, we're all that more productive.  But I don't think we're sleeping too much.  We more likely suffer from sleep deprivation.

I'm not sure that we have become a lazy society, but we have certainly become a distracted one.  Maybe we should paraphrase this proverb and substitute a word like "veg"... as we "veg out" in front of the tv, computer, and have our heads in our phones throughout the day.  I can't remember the last time I took a nap.  But whenever it was, I'm sure it wasn't productive.

Readings:  Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:9; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34