IDLE, TIMID, or WEAK
By Mac April 2002
1Thes 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Paul was telling the members of the Church in Thessalonica
that they are responsible for each other within the Kingdom of God. He talks about three separate categories of
people, and gives the command to handle each group a little differently. Warn, encourage, and help are his action
verbs for those who are IDLE, TIMID, or WEAK, respectively. This lesson will discuss each category, and
using other Scripture, attempt to show why Paul was distinguishing between each
group. As we go through, we will define
each of these 3 categories: Idle, Timid, Weak.
Turn to 2Thes 3, and
read verses 6 and7: “In the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every
brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received
from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were
not idle when we were with you,…”
But, before discussing this verse, turn to 1Tim 5 and read
verse 13 as if it immediately followed the above verse: “Besides, they get
into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only
do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they
ought not to.”
Why do you think Paul said AVOID those that are idle? Doesn’t that kind of go against all the preaching about “love your neighbors, and even your ENEMIES.”? The most obvious answer, is that, because we are human, if we ‘associate’ with idle people, sometimes that ‘laziness’ or ‘inactivity’ will rub off on us. It is best to “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” (Titus 3:10)
Okay, now turn to Prov 31 and read verse 27: “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Before discussing this, you really should read the whole Proverb 31. The author is discussing a ‘wife of noble character’. “Eating the bread of idleness” is harmful to your life, whether you are the “breadwinner” of a family, or not. Avoiding ‘inactivity’ is essential to a happy marriage, as well as a more fruitful relationship with God.
Okay, now turn to Eccl 10. In verse 18 we will now talk about the HUSBAND (or if you are not married, we can discuss the SINGLE MAN): “If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks…” Although Solomon is referencing a physical HOUSE here, this passage can easily refer to a man’s SPRITUAL house as well. Sagging rafters and a leaky roof describe an unhealthy relationship with God, and very possibly, an unhappy marriage relationship.
Solomon DOES give us some great guidance in Eccl 11, verse 6, where he says to: “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” GET UP IN THE MORNING, and start it off correctly. Pray, read and/or study God’s Word. Keep active all day. Hard to do some days, but if you START it off correctly, it will be much easier to keep a positive attitude all day, and it will help you from becoming lazy in the afternoon or evening.
Besides, Prov 10, verse 4 tells us that “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” I am not sure about YOU, but to me, wealth is better than poverty. And this can also refer to a ‘wealthy’ relationship with God, your spouse, your friends and neighbors, rather than a POOR one.
Okay, the second category of people that Paul was referring to in 1st Thes 5:14 is:
How do you overcome these ‘nasty habits’? Well, Paul gives guidance to Timothy in 2Ti
1, verses 6 and 7: “For this reason
I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” What is he talking about when he mentions the gift of God? Correct! The Holy Spirit you get when you get properly baptized. Fan it into flame!!! Let the Holy Spirit guide you, speak for you, help you. Do Not Worry about the pitiful amount of persecution you might get if someone thinks you are a religious nut for inviting someone to Church, or sharing your faith with them. So what? God GAVE us self-discipline. We need to get into a ‘good’ habit of doing things for God. It has been said that in order to develop a habit, you must do whatever you want to become the habit, for at least seven (7) weeks. Are you in the ‘habit’ of sharing consistently? Reading your Bible? STUDYING your Bible? Confessing your sins to each other for healing purposes? Etc, etc etc. Get rid of timidity by being bold every day for at least 7 weeks.
Elihu, in Job 32, verse 6 said: "I am young in
years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what
I know. Are you the same way (Elihu
realized his error)? Are you ’afraid’
to invite ‘older’ people to church? Do
‘preachers’ and ‘priests’ and other ‘clergy’ SCARE you because you THINK they
know more about the Bible than you do?
If you are a Disciple of Jesus in the International Churches of Christ,
you may know a little less than most ‘preachers’, but you sure know more about
the truth of Salvation than most do. Do
people of the opposite sex frighten you into not sharing your faith? How about people that LOOK DIFFERENTLY than
you? Size, color, appearance. Do these things make you timid? I hope not.
Are you afraid to ‘disciple’ or rebuke a brother or sister because they have
been in the Church longer, or they are older in earth years? God!, I hope not. It is up to you, by God’s COMMAND, to not be timid, but to, as
Isaiah said in chapter 35, verses 3 and 4
“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."” We HAVE to help each other out. Get rid of timidity. Encourage those that ARE timid to become less so by providing examples for them. Because, when God comes to save YOU, it would be nice for Him to save those that were once timid as well.
This brings me to my last category of people that Paul discussed:
Turn to, and read Jeremiah 49:24 “Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor” Although Jeremiah is referring to a city here, substitute your name (or the name of someone you believe is weak in his or her relationship with God) for the word ‘Damascus’. Have you, or they, become feeble? Frail? Weak people get hurt more often than the strong--both physically as well as spiritually. Weak people run away (flee) when the going gets tougher. Satan LOVES that! People fall away from the grace of God all the time because they cannot remain strong. Yet Paul warns us very harshly in Galatians 5:20 and 21 where he said to Christians then (and now): “I warn you as I did before, those who live like this (in sin) will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Fragile, feeble people succumb to the magnetism of sin. DON’T YOU!!!!!
So, if Paul tells us to HELP THE WEAK, how are we to do this. Turn to Psalm 82 and read verse 3: “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” DEFEND them. How? TEACH THEM the Word of God. Don’t let them fall away because of ignorance of the Word! AND, if you don’t, Ezekiel warns in chapter 34, verse 4 that you are not being a watchman for God. “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally” God put us here, in the exact place you are today, FOR A REASON. You say, “but I am not a leader”. YES YOU ARE. You may be only YOUR own leader, but you are a leader. If you are married, both the man and woman are leaders. One is usually stronger than the other, and God likes for the man to be the stronger leader, but BOTH are leaders. Especially if you have children (of any age)! You lead by example. You can be seen as a ‘leader’ by your neighbors if you ‘follow’ Jesus. ‘FOLLOWING’ Jesus is emulating him, not just blindly putting one foot in front of the other trying to stay on the same path He took. To ‘walk in his footsteps’ means to ‘do what he did’. He LEAD people all the time. Not only his closest friends, but strangers and enemies alike. He strengthened them with words of encouragement and rebuke. He used love in all circumstances. Even His rebukes came because of His love mankind.
If you get rebuked, or you rebuke others (to ‘rebuke’ is to
provide blunt proper instructions to someone), are their ‘feelings’ of
animosity. There shouldn’t be. The Hebrew writer (some say Paul, most don’t
think so) says in chapter 12, verses 11 through13: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have
been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
"Make level paths for your feet," so that the
lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
Rebuking persons who can’t see their own sin (or the CONSEQUENCES of it) is YOUR responsibility. HELP the weak. Strengthen their ‘feeble arms, weak knees’ and frail souls.
I mentioned men and women above, and that a man is the ‘stronger’ of the two in a marriage relationship. But being physically stronger is not all I want to discuss. Turn to 1st Peter, chapter 3, and read verse 7: “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” Wives are considered ‘weaker’ because of their bodies (generally). But, some could say they are weaker because a woman was the first to sin. But, if you REALLY look at that, SATAN sinned LONG before Eve was ever alive!!!!! So, being weaker, has to refer to physical size. In a lot of marriages today, you will find the WIFE is stronger in her relationship with God than her husband is. Is this good? NO. But it IS reality. The HUSBAND must repent and become the leader of the family as the most spiritual (notice I didn’t say ‘religious’). God put man as the head of his household for reasons. One of man’s responsibilities as the ‘head’ is to lead his wife in their quest for better relationships with God. BUT, both husbands and wives need to be considerate to EACH OTHER (you can read verses 1 through 7 in this chapter (3) to get guidance for the WIFE).
And lastly, turn to the book of Acts, chapter 20, and read verse 35: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Help the weak!
Jesus wants us to follow Him. Help the weak as he did over and over and over. You help them by teaching, using the Scriptures. You encourage the timid by providing a proper leadership role and use the Scriptures to point out the gracious love of God for those that truly search for Him. You warn those people whose hearts are hard and have become idle. Laziness lets in Satan, not God.
What category, if any, do you fall in…..why? What can you do about the situation if you ARE in one of these categories?
PRAY
CONFESS
BE HOSPITABLE
BE ON TIME
SHOW LOVE
1 DAY AT A TIME
STUDY—GET CONVICTED
--FIND PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT WERE IN ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, AND SEE WHAT THEY, OR GOD, DID TO CHANGE THE SITUATION FOR THEM
To God be the Glory, Amen.