Work Ethic
According to Jesus, it is better to give than receive, and Paul said, “We must help the weak.”
During his final meeting with the believers in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul gave the disciples much admonishment, some warnings, and a brief discussion about working hard. On the final topic, the legendary missionary gave no room for question or argument. Paul told the Ephesians that, while he ministered among them, they clearly saw him work with “these hands of mine” to supply his own needs and the “needs of my companions.”
The Apostle didn’t stop there, though. He told the converts that his own actions “showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak.” Again, there could be no question in the hearer's mind regarding what Paul was referring to. The servant of God had lived among them. He ministered and preached the gospel to them. This man was the heart of God reaching out to them, and they saw how he worked. They saw how he used his own hands to supply the needs of others.
Paul was no sloughful minister. He was not golfing on off days. When he wasn’t preaching the gospel, he worked with his hands so he would not be a burden to others. He also worked to assist those who needed help. The Ephesians saw it with their own eyes, but Paul would not leave this critical point to hang on their own eyewitness accounts.
The Apostle took the matter a step further and interjected our Messiah’s thoughts on the matter. According to Paul, the Lord of lords said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus admonished His own followers to understand this principle of giving. Work hard to meet your own needs and the needs of others who need help. Why? Because it is better to give to others than to receive anything! Reiterating Jesus’ point, the Apostle Paul makes the principle mandatory with the phrase “we must help the weak.” The use of the word “must” makes a morally bound connotation.
We, as believers, must work hard to help the weak. Heard that in church lately? Believers who are unwilling to work hard to help those in need are not doing what they “must” do. According to our God, it is better to work hard and give to the weak than it is to receive, get rich, and die with the most stuff. That does not sound like a retirement plan.
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