Good In-Tent-ions

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 1 Thessalonians 4:11

If you’ve seen ‘Young Apprentice’, you’ve probably witnessed a cleverly edited program about a group of pretentious teenagers telling us they’re the next big thing and how much money they’re going to make. You might find yourself wanting to offer these young-guns a slap and a complementary chill pill.

But at the other end of the spectrum is the stereotype of the workshy-spongingoffparents teenager half asleep on the sofa. Calling in ‘sick’ to classes. Now, this might not be quite your style, but we have to be wary – laziness is something that will catch you right out if you let it (check out
Proverbs 13:4). Am I condemning you? Nope, just want you to make the most of the time on your hands.

In Acts 18 we read about Paul. Even as he travelled around, in between preaching and teaching, he made tents to provide for himself, not always relying on people to provide for him. Tents. What a hero, right? But he worked with dedication and persistence in something that wasn’t the important, central part of his life’s mission, in order to allow it to go on. So wherever life is taking you, work hard as if you were doing it for the Lord himself (Colossians 3:23).

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me remember that time is a gift You have given me – help me use it wisely knowing that it is Your time and it has a purpose. In Jesus” Name, Amen