Self-employment curbs idleness

Idleness is a vice. It is the greatest cause of poverty and the main reason behind the increase in crime rates.
The person who said that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop hit the nail on the head. Where there is idleness, there is the devil too. One way of keeping away the devil from your life is to have your mind fully occupied with something worthwhile.
For instance if you constantly dwell your mind on the positive and inspiring word of God you will give no place to the devil to use your body as an instrument of unrighteous works. But full occupation of your mind with good thoughts will not let you off the hook of poverty.
Your hand must be occupied with some constructive work if you will have some decent food on your table.
Many Christians are growing in the grace and knowledge of the word of God. The word of God can be easily accessed nowadays. Tele-vision and street preachers, the Bible society, the internet, Christian literature and increase in the number of churches have all played a crucial role in spreading the word of God. We now have people full of the word of God in our societies today.
But there is something which still needs to be addressed: unemployment. There is no gainsaying that there are many highly educated and even trained people without jobs. The mind is now occupied with the right thing – the holy word of God but the hand is still idle. It is a situation of having good thoughts without good work; holiness without food to eat; spiritually full but having empty stomachs. This kind of situation is not new; it existed in the time of the Apostle Paul.
Paul analysed the situation and saw that many were saved but unemployed. They thou-ght Christ would return early so there was no need for employment on earth. But setting their minds on heavenly things without doing something with their hand on earth resulted in lack of food and begging.
Apostle Paul wrote to them to the effect that their hands needed to work for food while their minds were occupied with the heavenly things.
He said, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” (2 Thess. 3:10-12). In our generation, people are not working not because of anticipating the soon return of Christ but jobs are in short supply. People want to work but the jobs opportunities are simply not there.
However, as long as one is still on earth in the physical body material or basic needs like food, shelter and clothing will still be required. I think this is the gap that prosperity preachers are trying to fill. Without the meeting of physical needs, spiritual prosperity is of little value on earth.
In heaven it has the greatest value, but on earth spiritual prosperity needs the undergirding of material provision or else lack and idleness will lead to spiritual failure.
But can we just sit idle and cry foul because there are no jobs. No. The apostolic commandment to work must be obeyed by every earthly-dwelling person. You may be degreed but unemployed, well-trained but have no job. Please find something to do that will put food on your table. You have no option on earth but to earn a living. Paul said that if you would not work you should not eat.
If you cannot be formally employed by another person, then employ yourself. You just have to do something. You may need to humble yourself and do some menial work till you get the kind of employment you desire. It is true that some government regulations may need to be relaxed a bit, loans made available and basic skills acquired but the point remains that one needs to do something for a living.
Prayer for creative and innovative ideas may be made. But in most cases it is what you have in your hands that God will use to provide for you. God will bless the work of your hands but are your hands working? If not, then let your hands find something to do and do that with all your might. Remember, you are not paid for what you know but for what you do with what you know.
Money flows to doers, not to ‘idlers’.
-Pastor Mairos Mu-bvumbi is the founding pastor of Hope In Christ Ministries.
You can send your prayer request to him on 0772889766 or mairos78@yahoo.co.uk