1 Timothy - God’s Design ch 5

Giving and Easter Fast

Idle Hands vs Productive Hands

If there was an overarching idea we could pull from 1 Timothy 5 it would be the idea of Idle Hands vs Productive Hands. There is a contrast in this chapter between idleness and productiveness.

Regarding some men that were not providing for the true widows in their families the Bible says,

1 Timothy 5:8 CSB

But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Looking at some young widows that were not giving themselves to the work of the church the Bible says,

1 Timothy 5:13 CSB

At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.

We need to be careful to distinguish between being busy and being busybody.

Be busy, but not a busybody!

Anonymous

There is a difference. We can be hurried and busy all day not accomplishing anything of value. I am not talking about those days when you get to the end and know you were busy but cannot recall what you did but the busyness that has no value. Busyness that produces nothing is of no value.

To those who are busybodies the Bible says stop, put your hands to real work, do the real things that need to be done.

Time if Finite

There is only so much time, only so many minutes, hours, and days. We do not get to know how much time we have. I often have the privilege to speak with families when they lose a loved one. A brother, sister, mother, or father passes and I am blessed with the honor of speaking with them. Do you know the number one thing I hear?

I thought there would be more time

Far and above anything else this one phrase is what I hear. We all think there is more time. More time to say I love you, more time to go fishing with the kids, more time to take a vacation, more time to spend on important things. But we do not get to know how much time we have. We are not given a clock that tells us when we are reaching the end. We do not get a bank account of hours that we are able to see getting lower. Time is finite and how we spend it matters.

The Bible here and elsewhere urges us to spend the time wisely.

Luke 12:25–26 CSB

Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

Luke 12:31 CSB

“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

We cannot add time to our clock so Jesus says seek the kingdom of God. Spend your time doing things God’s way. We only get the time we get so we have to be wise with the time we use.

When we are not wise with our time, when we are not careful with it, when we do not guard it, we slip into idleness.

In Ephesus and other early churches there was a registry of widows. The church would take care of these widows. The widows being cared for by the church were to also to do the work of ministry. They were to spend their time wisely. They would visit the sick, care for orphans, visit those in prison. They would make meals. They had work to do they were not idle, they put their hands to productive work.

This was a major issue in Ephesus and part of the reason for Paul’s warnings to women in the church. There were two groups young widows and older widows. The younger widows were young enough to get remarried and raise families. Paul urges them to do this because,

1 Timothy 5:11–15 CSB

But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry and will therefore receive condemnation because they have renounced their original pledge. At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. Therefore, I want younger women to marry, have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us. For some have already turned away to follow Satan.

They were not content with the work widows were called to do. Instead they had too much free time. I love free time but too much and you will find your hands idle, and when your hands are idle they will wonder into trouble. Paul says the solution to this for these young widows is to get married again.

In our modern day we might think no there is so much more a woman can do. Yes in our day there is but the Bible was not written in our day it was written when women had little to no rights. They had no standing in society. They were extremely limited in what they could do.

We have to understand the culture the Bible was written in or we will never see the fullness and beauty.

For us we can apply this more broadly. We can say those who idle male or female should start a family, go to work, serve in the church, be productive.

There are so many things we can put our hands to in our modern world if we decided to.

How much time do we spend on our phones or watching TV? I do not know about Androids but your iPhone will tell you how much time you spend doing things.

Last Sunday I spent 6 hours on my phone. That seems like a lot to me.

There was a lot of time wasted. A lot of time I could have been doing other more productive things.

No don’t get me wrong relaxing is good. Relaxing and down time are important. But sometimes if I am honest I am on phone when I do not need to be. My hands are idle. I could be growing something or putting my hands to something useful because games on my phone are not very useful. They may have a place but how much of a place.

The question I am asking myself is this; If I am given a bank of hours am I happy with how I am spending them?

When I get to the end will I say, I thought I would have more time?

I want to live in a such a way that I say, I did it. My wife already knows that on my tombstone I want it to say, he loved well. That’s my goal and it will not happen thought idleness.

Money Like Time is Finite

We cannot ignore that one of the reasons Paul and the Bible are talking about creating rules for who the church supports is a money issue and a personal growth issue.

The church only had so much money and it could not support everyone so they had to be wise, use judgement, and be discerning. They also needed to realize as we all do that it is good for people to work for what they have with their own hands. This again is the reason for 1 Timothy 5:8

1 Timothy 5:8 CSB

But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Some of the best help I have ever received was in the form of a job. It was in work and producing something with my own hands.

Work is not a consequence of the fall, toiling is a result of the fall but we as human beings were designed, we were created to work.

Journey is no different. We get requests to help people every week and sometimes we have to say no. Sometimes because someone will just not work. They could provide for themselves but they just refuse to. When someone like the true widows in Ephesus needs help we will spring into action when we can.

Our benevolence fund like other things we have is direct funding meaning when you give to benevolence we have that money to give away.

This year we have received $1044.12 in benevolence. I assure more requests than that have come in.

We have clear rules and guidelines about how we give away money. For one we never give money. We pay for things directly. We like receipts. And so on.

We strive to be good stewards of what we give away.

II am a bleeding heart when it comes to people asking for money and help. My wife knows this and the rest of the benevolence team knows this. In our own family I struggle to not help when people ask. So we have to put checks and balances in place to do things.

I believe in being a good steward of what God has given and I believe in generosity. I have seen the power of generosity in my own life on both sides of it. It is never about the amount but about the heart.

Everyone has a passion for different things. Some love benevolence or altruism or giving to help those in need. It is what wakes them up in the morning. They love it and are always looking for a way to help.

Some want to see the church grow and cannot wait to give to help the new building.

Some are passionate about missions and want to give to see God’s work expand.

Whatever you are passionate about give yourself to that. Your time, your money, your energy to that.

Be productive.

The Reliability of Scripture

Before we get to the last point I want to throw in a bonus point. In 1 Timothy 5:18 Paul says something that we can easily overlook.

1 Timothy 5:18 CSB

For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, The worker is worthy of his wages.

Paul says Scripture says and then quotes two things. He quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 which every good Jewish person would have known. Then he quotes Luke 10:7. This is important because Paul is saying that the Gospel of Luke is Scripture. Now we know this but remember Paul wrote 1 Timothy between 62 and 66 AD which tells us Luke’s Gospel was already written and known. This is amazing. Anyway.

Hidden and Shown

Lastly, we see that whether we are idle or productive it will come out.

1 Timothy 5:24–25 CSB

Some people’s sins are obvious, preceding them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later. Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.

My daughter used to get made at me because I always say

The truth will come out. There is no such thing as a secret.

The Bible is clear that the truth will always come out. We cannot hide it. Good or bad eventually it will all be revealed. Either on this side of eternity or the other the truth always comes out. And God being good likes to bring it out now.

So if we look back at my question and adjust it,

The question I am asking myself is this; If I am given a bank of resources am I happy with how I am spending them?

The truth of how we spend our time, our money, our energy will come out. If you are hiding things it will be brought to the light. It will come out. If you are secretly doing good it will come out. When we look at what we are putting our hands too are we happy with if it was brought into the light or would we run away?

If your spouse saw your credit card receipts would you be ok?

If your spouse or friend saw your search history would that be ok?

If your boss saw what you are spending your time on at work would that be ok?

The list can go on and on. And we can ask if so and so saw it would that be ok but let’s be honest God sees it. Are you ok with what He sees?

You have to answer the question for yourself. I am not going to ask you these questions. One of the most freeing things in the world is knowing how you answer a question that you are asking yourself. If you are lying your are only lying to yourself. If you are honest then even if you do not like the answer you get to change it.

Sometimes the answer for me is no. I am not ok. I want to do better. I want to be better. I don’t think I have sinful things I am hiding but I still think I can do better. I can accomplish more. I could rest more without my phone. That is what I want. I want to please my Father in Heaven.

I want to know I am being productive for the Kingdom of God.

I want to know I did it. I got my business done.

Are you getting your business done? Are you confident that you have settled up with Jesus. exchanged your sin for His righteousness.

That now my time is productive because it is being used for His kingdom and for other people.

I thought there would be more time

You don’t get to know how much time is left in the hour glass of your life.