Don’t Be Idle

MONEY MATTERS WITH DR. ANDREW LEE

In one of my favorite novels, As I Lay Dying (1930) by my favorite novelist William Faulkner, an old man named Anse Bundren justifies his laziness by reasoning that once he gets to Heaven, riches and wealth “will be taken from them that have and give[n] to them that have not.” But what does Jesus say in Matthew 25:29? “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Anse Bundren actually seems to have it backward, biblically speaking. Yet old Anse and those like him often attribute their poverty to “bad luck.” But as Benjamin Franklin famously wrote in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.” The harder we work, the “luckier” we get!

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970’s, I cannot recall seeing anyone holding a sign on a corner begging money. Rather, I remember a blind man who stood regularly outside the Post Office downtown with a cup of pencils he was selling to make money. This man was obviously and permanently disabled. Today, on countless street corners and interstate on-ramps, there are young, apparently able-bodied men and women holding cardboard signs expecting to be handed money (and this was true for many years before our current pandemic). As Christians, we are instructed to help the poor, the widow, and the orphan—no question about it. But I also believe God wants us to use sound judgment (discernment) and not simply hand over our money indiscriminately to anyone who is panhandling or holding a sign on a corner. Robert D. Lupton has an eye-opening book entitled Toxic Charity: How the Church Hurts Those They Help and How to Reverse It. Lupton has worked for many years with numerous charitable and 10 // November 2020

Dr. Andrew Lee is professor of English at Lee University. He also serves as a coordinator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. He and his wife Esmerelda have three children.

missions-minded organizations, and one of the author’s observations is that “giving to those in need what they could be gaining from their own initiative may well be the kindest way to destroy people.” There is a considerable difference between giving to help people during an immediate crisis (disaster relief, for instance) and regularly giving to the same people who chronically solicit donations. This latter dynamic might actually be “enabling” destructive behaviors such as idleness or substance abuse.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-7, Paul goes one step further: “Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you.” Surrounding ourselves with idle people may end up infecting us with the same apathy, hopelessness, and sloth. At the very least, we might normalize and legitimize idleness (notice how this sounds nicer than “laziness”). After all, one must wonder why we’ve had a proliferation of aggressive panhandling in cities and towns across America (sometimes turning violent), as well as the ubiquitous people holding cardboard signs at countless intersections.

For those reading my column in this magazine, odds are you currently have a job and are working diligently in pursuit of your goals—paying bills, trying to save something for a rainy day, and investing for your retirement. On the other hand, many have become unemployed during this pandemic, and there’s a chance that more may join the jobless ranks unless the pandemic ends in the near future. Let’s encourage those less fortunate, offer godly counsel, and a “hand up” in addition to the occasional “handout.”

Be A Peacemaker, Not A Peacekeeper

by John Garrod

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:10). As an adult living without Christ, I saw no room for myself in the church. I mean, I wasn’t and still am not the most sensitive guy in the world, and all that talk about “Love you, brother!” was honestly a little—soft for my tastes. I’m a MAN! (Insert grunt sound here.) When I got saved, I even laid out my “terms” before God.

“Okay, God. So here’s the deal. You and I, we’re good now. I’m going to try to be obedient, and you, well, you just keep being God, and forgiving me, and all that. But this ‘loving people’ business, you know that’s not me. And I’m not going to stand up in front of people, and I’m not going to…” and the list went on. And yes, I DID have that conversation with God. I took some comfort in Psalm 144: “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” Yeah, now that fit me: a warrior! (Insert double grunt sound).

But this stuff in the Beatitudes; what was all of THAT about? Meekness? Poor in spirit? And a peacekeeper? Okay, well, I can handle that; you either settle down or I’ll whoop you (Army MP training, thank you). I’m a Cold War vet; I’ve done peacekeeping before. There’s a difference, though. The Word doesn’t say we’ll be blessed if we just keep the peace. Peacekeepers just try to contain the situation or try to avoid conflict. The Word calls us to be Peacemakers. And yes, there is a difference.

Where a peacekeeper is essentially trying to avoid a problem, a peacemaker sees there is a problem and steps in: not with force, but with reason and wisdom and discernment. A peacemaker is ruled not by his emotions, but by a compelling desire to see the peace achieved for everyone’s sake. As a peacekeeper, a man is not feared for his strength so much as he is respected for his mission and his mindset. A peacemaker steps into a volatile situation voluntarily, bringing the tools for peace: the Spirit of God, the Word, prayer, and a love for everyone. He can recognize

the severity of the battle, but his eyes look beyond it to the beauty of the peace which Christ brings to the troubled heart. His mission is to speak boldly to the troubled seas, like Christ, and see the waves disperse before that name. He represents the lifeline to the troubled marriage, the drugaddled mind, the inconsolable, grieving heart, and security for our children. The role of peacemaker is a noble, upward calling. It requires strength of faith, not strength of force. Can you handle it? About The Author John Garrod is a father of six, husband of one. He is a recent graduate of Lee University (c/o ’19), a discipleship teacher at South Cleveland Church of God, and a U.S. Army veteran.

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