2 Thessalonians 3
by Philip Layton
Paul asks for prayer and warns against idleness
Click here to read 2 Thessalonians 3
Discussion Questions
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Why do you think Paul wrote this (v 6)?
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‘Never tire of doing what is good’ (v 13)! Do you feel 'tired'?
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What is Paul’s advice to those who do not follow his teaching and why does he suggest it (v 15)?
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Going Deeper From 'Words of Life'
I taught my children how to play the piano. When very young, I would get them used to sitting on the stool, in front of the piano. Rochelle loved trying to find ‘C’ on the keyboard, without any help. Joel thought it cool to have music in front of him, even if he couldn’t read the notes at first. Kirsten loved the funny black keys, playing them from top to bottom. Josh loved just spending ‘alone’ time with me, away from his three older siblings.
It was all fun – at first. Then came the practising: the scales; the repetition; the exams, in order to move to the next level. They would get lazy; mostly because it was far more fun to be with friends, enjoying the outdoors. Holding back their small, weekly pocket money allowance helped with this – although I always felt guilty about the bribery thing. But it worked!
They can all play the piano now, and are thankful we stuck it out together. Yet laziness can hit us all, even in our spiritual walk. Paul warns the Thessalonians about this:
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies (v 11).
Laziness can keep us from our devotional time. We can soon forget about caring for others; we can leave the work of the church for others to do. When lazy, we can neglect God altogether. It’s OK to have ‘lazy days’ – times of rest; times when practising the piano, or other such activities, is not at the top of our list.
But let’s never get lazy in our expression of love for God. If we are giving our best for him, then Paul’s benediction will be a blessing for us today:
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all (vv 16, 18).
Beverly Ivany
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