Vazquez Counseling

In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“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.” (New King James Version)

In this passage, Paul made several points that should be strongly considered as we walk with God. First, he stated that we are not to be disorderly. What exactly does this mean? It means that we need to be organized in our thinking and our doing, which can only be accomplished by thinking and doing the right things. And that means that we should follow the ancient Scriptures to the best of our ability, for they are like bread for our spirit. If we want to understand the Bible clearly, then we need to be open to the guidance of our Precious Holy Spirt.

In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist states the following Truth about God’s Word:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” (NKJV)

It is a beautiful thing to consider that our LORD has given us the blueprint for life, the Holy Bible. If we read his Word regularly, it has the same effect for our spirit that food has for our bodies; for the Scriptures nourish our spirit. Without God’s Word in our lives, we will suffer from spiritual malnutrition, and we will be ineffective Christians in the Kingdom of God. We may be saved, if we have truly placed our faith in God, but we will be like fruit trees that produce little fruit or no fruit at all.

When Paul, in the passage above, talks about us walking in the traditions that he and the Apostles set forth, he is referring to the teachings and doctrines taught to us by Christ Himself and His Apostles. Down through the centuries, many churches have developed traditions that are inconsistent with Scripture. Surely, Paul did not mean that we are to follow un-Biblical traditions. It doesn’t matter who sets them in place. Anything we practice in our faith has to be consistent with the Word of God; otherwise, it is not a wise practice. And that is what Paul meant when he said that we are walk in orderly ways, guided by the Holy Spirit Who teaches us through the Word of God how to walk correctly in our faith.

One final note, as unpopular as this is, God expects us to work. In the passage above, Paul clearly stated that he and those with him worked hard to earn what they ate. As we serve God and others, our LORD will reward us, and He will feed us and provide for us because of our labor. The passage above is the most explicit statement against the idea of a universal income by the government that is so popular in some political circles these days. That is not to say that some people who are struggling shouldn’t be helped, but depending on the government for life and never working are things that our LORD admonishes us in His Word not to do. Like it or not, everyone needs to work to earn a living, in whatever way they can and using the talents that God has given them.