A Double Standard

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

"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, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

"and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one."

Matthew 5:42

"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."

In our society today, we have an epidemic. Ours is the Entitlement generation. We believe that we should get whatever our heart's desire is, and we should get it now, and we should get it for free. It is a plague that has even found it's way into our churches. It is always interesting to me how the Bible has two sides of the coin, and we always find ourselves on the side that loses our "rights." The Bible says that if someone wants to take us to court and take our shirt, that we should give them our coat also (Matthew 5:40), but also says that we should not take others to court, as we know that God is the ultimate Judge (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). It tells us that we should forgive those who speak ill of us behind our backs, but also that we are not to be those who gossip (Ecclesiastes 10:20, Ephesians 4:29).  Finally, the Bible says, give to anyone who asks of you freely, but also tells us to work hard, as to not find ourselves in need. We know that all things are from God, and that He uses everything in our lives to transform us into His son's image, if we trust in Him. This means that in times of poverty, we are not to be ashamed, for God has placed us in need, maybe to humble us, or maybe to bring us to a dependency on Him. However, this situation could also be self-inflicted. God does not shield us from the consequences of our choices, so if I handle my money poorly (buying things that I do not need), and do not work, I will find myself in a desperate situation. We must work hard, and be frugal with our spending, and in doing so honor God and obey this commandment. When we find that we have an abundance, we know exactly what it is for: to give to those in need. It is not a blessing to be wealthy nor a sign of God's favor, but rather a grave responsibility to bear the load of wealth. Those that have much are in a difficult place of seeking Kingdom matters, because as Jesus said, it is impossible to serve two masters. Those that have wealth, tend to make the business of making money their master, which is why Jesus said it was easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. So the double standard, not in the traditional sense of the analogy, but rather in the sense that we have two standards for both situations, and in both, we are the ones responsible: give to any who asks of you, but work hard with your hands, so that you are not dependent on anyone--except God, of course. For when I am wealthy, it is because God has made it so, and when I am in poverty, it is because God has made it so. In both cases, he supplies all that we need, if we trust in Him and seek after His Kingdom first.  Dear brothers and sister, do not make your life about the accumulation of earthly pleasures that will one day decay and that you are unable to bring with you to eternity. However, let us work hard, as if we are working for the Lord, and always be ready to open our hands to those in need.