帖撒羅尼迦後書 (4)

帖撒羅尼迦後書 (4)
聖經閱讀：帖撒羅尼迦後書3:6-13 現代中譯本|合和本
2016年1月16日(六)

你看過有人整天都坐在沙發上看電視嗎？他們只是坐著，不做有益的家事，也不去當義工幫助別人，像這樣的人我們可以稱他們是「懶惰的人」。
在今天的經文閱讀中，保羅談到這樣的人。保羅告訴帖撒羅尼迦的基督徒： 「要遠離所有遊手好閒、不遵守我們教導的信徒」（第6節）。
保羅為什麼要提起這些懶惰的人來警告基督徒呢？因為當人不再做有益的事情時，往往就會開始做罪惡的事，他們對其他的基督徒會有不好的影響，保羅建議這些懶惰的人： 「要安靜下來，親手做工來維持生活」（第12節）。
今天就作一個有用的人，要用你的時間來服事上帝和其他人。 —EP*

「辛苦勞碌，日夜做工，為的是不要連累你們。我們這樣做……是要你們學習我們的榜樣。」 帖撒羅尼迦後書3:8b-9a

禱告：上帝，求祢告訴我今天我可以幫助的人。奉耶穌的名。阿們！

(周維音譯)

2 Thessalonians (4)
Bible Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Saturday, January 16, 2016

Have you ever seen someone sit on a couch for hours every day and watch TV? Instead of doing helpful things around the house or volunteering to help others, they just sit around. We might call that person a “couch potato.”
Paul talked about that kind of person in our Bible verses for today. Paul told the Thessalonian Christians to “stay away from any believer who refuses to work. People who refuse to work are not following the teaching that we gave them” (verse 6b).
Why did Paul warn the Christians about these lazy people? Because people who stop doing helpful things usually start doing sinful things. They are a bad influence on other Christians. Paul's advice for these lazy people is to “stop bothering others and to work and earn their own food” (verse 12b). Be helpful today. Use your time to serve God and other people. —EP*

“We worked and worked so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We worked night and day...we worked to take care of ourselves so that we would be an example for you to follow.” 2 Thessalonians 3:8b-9a

PRAYER: God, please show me someone I can help today. In Jesus' name. Amen.