Twofold Lesson

"...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody"- 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV).

One memory I carry from my youth is of sitting under a shade tree, with my Granny Fryar, shelling peas until our fingertips were both sore and green. Those peas sure were tasty at dinner time; it felt good to know that I had helped to put those peas on the table. As Paul traveled on his mission trips, he worked with those he served. For example: Paul was a tent maker by trade and worked alongside Aquila and Priscilla when he visited them in Corinth. He also used each opportunity to teach about Jesus and His resurrection (Acts 18:3-4). Paul was setting an example about not being a burden, sponging off others without lifting a finger. He even commanded, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from other believers who always had their hand out for a handout (2 Thessalonians 3:6-9). I'm grown now and have my own garden, plus a couple of grandchildren. I think, when the harvest comes in, I'll find a nice shade tree and teach them to snap green beans. While doing so, I'll teach them about Jesus and His resurrection. A twofold lesson about hands: working them and lifting them.