If you do not work, you shall not eat!

I just witnessed something very sad, but sobering.


A man whom we, here at my church, have been assisting financially came in today. We haven't seen him in over 2 months. His green shirt and over-sized blue jeans are heavily stained, his shoulders look more obvious because his frame seemed smaller to me. The bones under his shirt are more visible than at his last visit.


He got a job back in May at a car dealership service center doing detailing. I remember the day he got hired... You would've thought he won the lottery. He came in... nice khaki pants, dress shirt and tie and had a smile like I had never seen before on his face. After using our phone to call the service manager, he hung up, did a little happy-happy-joy-joy dance and said "I got the job!" I was so happy for him. This was huge for him and his family. This meant money for food and bills. He was then told by our deacons that until he showed some responsibility on his part financially, we would not be assisting him with groceries or anything else. This was 4 months ago.


He has since come in a couple times asking for a bag of groceries and each time I am forced to reiterate the agreement the deacons and him had come to at this point. He would try again a few weeks later and... same routine. It was quite draining and quite sad. He started being late to work. I know this because he walks to work and has to pass by our church playground to get there. So he wound up on "probation" at work as a warning of his tardiness. He finally got pink-slipped for using fowl language with his boss and is now unemployed again.


He came in today asking for a bag of groceries and I didn't know if that policy was still standing since it had been so long. I walked back to the kitchen but decided to call Nick our head deacon. He insisted on speaking with him. From what I gathered from their conversation, Nick was trying to reiterate the agreement and it wasn't being taken well. The conversation turned ugly and the guy said, " I thought you were a man of God but I just don't know. " He abruptly got off and walked out of the church. I felt mixed feelings of sadness and frustration. I know that the deacons are doing the best thing for him in restricting assistance in hopes that he will show some responsibility on his own. I have to trust that he will one day see that they loved him by keeping the food from him. But for now, he doesn't see that. All he sees is an "uncharitble" church. I thought about the fact that he may be tempted to steal food for his family. Or worse, rob someone. I thought of the despair and anger that he must be feeling for the way his life is because of the choices he's made. But I wonder if he realizes that to work is to live. We were put on this earth to work. It says in the Bible that the one who does not work, shall not eat. That's a pretty harsh reality but as we see by evidence of the homeless on the streets, that holds true. You have to earn a living. For some it comes easier than others. And for some it is handed to them and they are careless with their fortunes. But work is a gift. It's not just a command in order to obey God but more than that it is a way to be in fellowship with God. God is honored when we work; when we serve people; when we are responsible with our money; and when we choose to give that money (that God owns in the first place) back to Him. Work is a way to be in communion with your Creator! That takes the duty out of the equation and makes it a delight! I wish I viewed my job as a delight every day but I don't. I forget that my job is a gift and a means of fellowship with my Lord. I see it as an obligation; a requirement to pay bills and a 5 day/40 hour "community service" kinda thing. After all, I get to work at my church!! I mean, how cool is that!? I'm super blessed to be surrounded by men & .... well men who love the Lord and are spending time with Him throughout their day in their work. So, I guess I write this post to say: God has given us a means of fellowship with Him through the gift of work and we should view it as such or we are missing out on 40+ hours a week of God-glorifying obedience.

Tomorrow is another day, praise God. I will receive a complete new set of mercies from Him and I can't wait to see them at my workplace. Now if I could only take that mercy and show it to someone else.....