A Godly Civilized Life - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

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. - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

    Recent events reveal an America that no longer cares to work for its own bread. Street riots, violence for the sake of violence, destruction of other’s property, and the pillaging of other’s goods are earmarks of a society which no longer cares about the Godly ideas of living an orderly life, earning their own bread, or walking in Christian humility. And any man or woman bearing the Christian title, "Reverend" who supports such violent civil disobedience is no Christian, but merely a false teacher!
    Detractors of the above statement will be quick to insist that the law enforcement officers in the lead-up to such instances routinely overstep their authority and are prejudicial in serving justice. But if those citizens most often engaged in such disorderly conduct were to follow Paul’s straightforward and clearly understandable commands would such violent confrontations still occur? How? How could they possibly occur if people followed the simple rules Paul set forth in his letters to the Thessalonians.
    “ . . . that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:11 -12. Let’s take Paul’s message in its natural order: “aspire to lead a quiet life” - Paul is simply advising us that conflict and uproar do nor serve God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. “mind your own business” - more trouble is caused by people who tend to place their attention everywhere but where it belongs. We need to exemplify the Christian life by attending more to the Godly things in this life and less to the worldly! “work with your own hands” - every man or woman who is capable of working should be working, not making excuses why they can’t or won’t work. There is a  twofold result that comes from putting Paul’s advice to the test: first, not only do you show those around you that the Christian lifestyle is marked by responsible behavior including dutiful employment. Secondly, such a civil behavior and work ethic results in a man or a woman being able to “eat their own bread” as well as glorify God in the process. I’m sure that the smashing of windows and the pillaging of buildings has never glorified our Almighty God . . . and it never will! There is no social gospel at play in the world. There is no Black Liberation Theology. There is no Feminist Theology. There is no Gay Theology. God has never ordained such heresies. There is only the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that all those who seek heaven take 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 to heart so that we can be what we should be in the eyes of our neighbors, but most  importantly in the eyes of our Lord, Jesus Christ.