Run with Patience

Discouragement – a battle I’ve been fighting lately.  Tonight in church, while listening to our pastor discuss the book of Nehemiah, I thought of discouragement and how easy it would be to give in to it.  When discouragement sets in – when life gets overwhelming and we have difficulty seeing the way through and out, we are faced with choices.  We can choose to give in and give up.  We can choose to find somewhere or someone on which to place the blame.  Or we can choose to use the discouragement to propel us to new heights.  Nehemiah was such a great example of one who chose to use his discouragement to work his way to great heights.

Nehemiah was a Jewish exile living in Persia.  We know he had proven himself to be a man of trust and integrity because he served as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.   His job gave him constant access to the king – tasting the food and drink before it was placed before the king.  Many of the Jews had been given permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild and had chosen to do so under the leadership of Ezra.  Nehemiah learned through hearing the news from Jews who had returned to Persia that, even though the temple had been rebuilt, the wall around Jerusalem had not been.  Nehemiah was discouraged with this news.  In those times, a city without walls was vulnerable to attack – it was a weak city.  Jerusalem would not ever be able to be a strong city, a proud city, or regain its former status until the wall was rebuilt.  It was an overwhelming job – a large job – and one in which it would be difficult to see the possible ways to the end.  But instead of choosing to allow his discouragement lead to despair, Nehemiah worked on developing a course of action to correct the problem.

After praying and planning, Nehemiah took advantage of his close, trusted relationship with the king.  It is somewhat noteworthy that the king so paid attention to Nehemiah that his downcast expression was remarked upon.  The king must have cared something for him.  Nehemiah explained the situation, said a quick prayer, and then boldly asked for everything he would need to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.  The king granted the request and Nehemiah carried out his plan.  The wall was rebuilt.

When we are faced with discouragement, we can choose to allow it to develop into depression and inability to act or we can choose to allow it to motivate us, giving a renewed determination.  Like Nehemiah, we can choose to allow discouragement to motivate us to find a way to solve the problem and not wallow in it, feeling sorry for ourselves.  We can choose to grow from it.  We can choose to allow God to work His mighty changes in us for His glory.  We have the responsibility and freedom to choose.  It is our choice.

Proverbs 24:16  For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. 

Jude 24  Now to him Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.   

Jude makes it clear that God is able to keep us from slipping and stumbling.  However, He also knows that every failure has seeds of growth.  He knows that apart from failure, we would have no need of His forgiveness, His communion, or His help.  In His hands, failure can become one of life’s greatest teachers.  His hands can use failure to refine us in ways successes cannot.  Failure can reach down into the very depths of our souls and expose pockets of selfishness, pride, etc.  It makes us more aware of our own limitations and humbles us.  It increases our sensitivity to others and reminds us that God is not finished with us yet but has promised He will complete the work He has begun in us.

Peter is a good example of someone who fell.  He had boldly told Jesus, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble. “ (Matt. 26:33)  He insisted he would never fail, but Jesus stopped Peter’s bravado short when He told him failure would indeed come that very night.   Most of us know how Peter failed Jesus that night by denying Him three times.  Frankly, Peter’s failure had begun the moment he became overconfident and insisted he would never fail. 

Sometimes our first response to failure can be to focus on the failure.  “My ministry is over,” “God will never be able to use me again,” “My kids will be damaged for life.”  Although we must be concerned for the present, we must be careful not to focus on it exclusively.  We need to allow God to help us put failure into the proper perspective. 

Failure is never final until a person quits trying.  As we continue to try, failure is really only a setback and an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.  Proverbs contrasts the righteous person and the wicked person.   The righteous may fall time and time again, but he or she gets back up and keeps trying.  When the wicked person falls, however, he or she is led into a downward spiral that causes calamity.  There is no recovery, no hope, no more trying.

Failure is a part of the human experience.  It can be painful but it can also be a great teacher.  God’s definition of success does not preclude failure, but it does include a willingness to refuse to quit, to learn from our mistakes, and to try again.  Failure can be our greatest teacher.  It can destroy us, or it can immobilize us, or it can simply teach us a lesson about what not to do.  It can rub off our rough edges and soften our hearts.  It can be the first step towards being a great success.  God can use our failures, whatever they may be, to make us the people He wants us to be.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15  But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.  For even when we were with you, we commanded you this:  If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.  Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.  But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.  And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

A sense of entitlement.  It seems to be growing more and more in our society.  It’s a spirit of dullness and a spirit of “give me” and it seems to be invading our workplace and our nation.  This is not a new thing, not even among Christians.  Paul was writing this epistle during a time when some of the Thessalonians believers had stopped working.  It seems they were relying on the generosity of their fellow believers, supposedly for the sake of being spiritual and waiting for the second coming of Christ – or maybe they were just being lazy.  Whatever it was, Paul had harsh words for this sense of entitlement.

Paul begins this by stating that we are to withdraw from people who are disorderly.  Who are the disorderly?  Paul defines them as those who will not work.    This command in the Greek has the force of a military command and is given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our Supreme Commander.  The word “withdraw” (stellesthai) means to stay away from; to have no fellowship with.    We are not to be identified in any way with these disorderly people who will not work.  Hanging out with people can also cause them to believe we condone their behavior.  We are to be careful not to do this.

This passage gives four reasons why we are to withdraw from the disorderly.  Verse 6 tells us that the person who does not work disobeys God’s commands and instructions.  The word “tradition” (paradosin) means all the Word of God, whether taught or written.  Pau says he had already taught these people the value of working as it applies to the commands of God and so they are without excuse.  If they continue in this life style, believers are to withdraw from them.  The second reason we are to withdraw is because they have examples and so should know better.  Paul worked day and night in labor and toil.  As a minister of the gospel, he had a right to be supported but chose not to be because he could set a dynamic example for these people.  This is not saying ministers should not be paid a real wage.  Paul obviously saw a problem with these particular people and was trying to set an example. 

Another reason we are to withdraw from disorderly people is because they lose their right to eat.  It can’t be stated any plainer: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  Note that this is also a command.  Again this is not talking about those who are truly disabled or unable to find employment.  This is taking about people who choose not to work – who choose to sit around doing nothing all day.  There are too many people in the world who are destitute, desperate, and dying.  Almost every church could put people to work, helping the truly needy.  The fourth reason is that those who are idle tend to be busybodies.  Our minds are active things and are never still.  Either it is busy thinking positive, productive thoughts or it is busy thinking negative thoughts.  This is why so many idle people, especially young people, get into trouble today. 

Verses 12-13 command us all to work.  Again this is a forceful command, a command that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are to earn our living in quietness in contrast to being busybodies.  We’re to work with a quiet spirit and mind our own business – being efficient workers.  We are not to get weary in doing good.  Don’t slack – be a good example for others as unto the Lord.  Some values and goals are important when we consider our work:

·         Pursue your life’s choice of work as a calling from God, whatever it might be, believing that He will guide and prepare you to accomplish a good work.

·         Increase understanding of your interests, personality, style, gifts, and talents.

·         Increase your skill and usability of universal job skills such as analytical thinking, evaluating skills, learning good communication, writing, speaking skills, interpersonal relationship skills, and problem solving skills.

·         Whatever you do, do it with thanksgiving and praise and give glory to God for any achievement.

Work is good for us.  When God placed Adam in the garden, He gave him work to do.  When we see our work as God-given, we have a whole new perspective.  It’s not a necessary evil that takes time away from “spiritual” things, but a gift from God through which we are to grow spiritually and minister to others.  This is the solution for the sense of entitlement.  It also gives a sense of real purpose and the right kind of self esteem.   God needs people in all walks of life in order to reach those who have not heard the good news of salvation.