SLACK IN PERFORMANCE ROSS SMITH
ALL REFERENCES FROM AMPLIFIED VERSION UNLESS NOTED
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we charge you, brethren, in the name and on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that you withdraw and keep away from every brother (fellow believer) who is SLACK IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY and is, living as a shirker and not walking in accord with the traditions and instructions that you have received from us.
We well know the context of this Scripture where the church at Thessalonica had a group of people who were expecting and awaiting the return of the Messiah and therefore gave up work pending this event. The apostle Paul then in no uncertain terms address this issue, telling this group that if they didn’t work, then they shouldn’t eat and advising the rest of the congregation to disassociate themselves from this inappropriate behaviour.
LIVING IN EXPECTATION !!!!
Whilst we frequently assign this shortcoming to the performance of duties in the workplace, it is, I fear, more intensive and pervasive than that. We are well aware of the saying, “Preparation is paramount“, and this applies across the board. We must prepare for the day ahead, not just a quick bible verse or promise note and a cup of coffee, and David made this point in Psalm 143 and was obviously aware that “those who seek me early shall find Me” (Proverbs 8:17)
Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness IN THE MORNING, (A good start for the day ahead .. comments mine) for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, (for the rest of the day .. comments mine) for I lift up my inner self to You.
This habitual PREPARATION applies to all that we do, for if we do not adequately “PREPARE” it will show in our “PRESENTATION“, whether it be preparing a meal, preparing to sing, pray, preach, or ever so clearly, in the workplace also. If we are leaving on a trip, failure to prepare is a recipe for disaster, and the list goes on.
We may find this instruction to be rather harsh, for these slack people would then not only lack food, but they would also lack company, that is, company of a real spiritual nature, for we are asked to “withdraw“.
But should we revisit Paul’s instruction in this day and generation? If so, then maybe we will find that there is a broader intention than that just to those in Thessalonica, and also much closer to home.
The Word of God poses numerous conditions and functions that are required of those who would be disciples, and if we have that ambition also to be a disciple, then we are obliged to discharge our duties. These conditions are only unpalatable to those who would still seek to conduct their relationship with the Lord on a “pick and choose” basis, whereas Father looks for an “all or nothing” relationship. He has every right to ask, “if I gave my Son to die for you, is it too much to ask you to give your life to live for Me?”
The first and foremost, and probably one of the most challenging aspects is the first and greatest commandment, that is, that we should “LOVE“. It comes in four distinct components or categories so that we can get it right.
Mark 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE the Lord your God out of and with your WHOLE heart and out of and with ALL your soul (your life) and out of and with ALL your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with ALL your strength. THIS IS THE FIRST AND PRINCIPAL COMMANDMENT.
There is absolutely no room for slackness in this instruction; it involves every aspect of our being, HEART, SOUL, MIND, STRENGTH.
- THE ORDER “AND YOU SHALL LOVE
- THE OBJECT “THE LORD YOUR GOD
- THE MEANS “WHOLE HEART, SOUL, MIND, THOUGHT, UNDERSTANDING, STRENGTH”
- THE REASON “A COMMANDMENT“
The abrogation of any one of these components constitutes “SLACKNESS IN PERFORMANCE OF DUTY“.
THE ORDER
The Apostle Peter was confronted with this choice when Jesus challenged him in John 21:15-17 as to THE EXTENT OR DEPTH OF HIS LOVE. Peter’s response was, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend”.
This does not suggest that Jesus doubted Peter’s love, but He wanted Peter to realise the importance of LOVE, and as Jesus repeated the question, He also reinforced the responsibility. It would be impossible for Peter to discharge the task of “Feed My lambs”, then “Tend My sheep” and finally, the onerous task of “Feed My sheep. If he did not have the first and most important commandment firmly entrenched as part of his personality, he would lack the compassion and empathy demanded in the requirement to nourish the flock, and risk being “SLACK IN PERFORMANCE OF DUTY“.
Logic would dictate that that which comes first on the list would be the most important, or the priority. The Bible confirms this now in Matthew: –
Matthew 22:37-38 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). THIS IS THE GREAT (MOST IMPORTANT, PRINCIPAL) AND FIRST COMMANDMENT.
The answer Jesus provided in Matthew 22 was in response to a question from a Lawyer, who had seen that the Sadducees had been unsuccessful in their pursuit of trying to trap Jesus. So, being a lawyer, he obviously assumed he could outsmart and embarrass Jesus due to his legal background and comprehension of the law. But it all came unstuck; he didn’t understand the “ORDER“.
LOVE has many functions, none of which are selfish or self-serving. Christian love does not mean to condone or approve anything and everything which others might do or teach, right or wrong. Rather, Christian love toward others seeks their real welfare, both naturally and spiritually, it shows itself in words and actions which promote the actual best interests of others.
We also need to differentiate between “GOOD WORKS” and “LOVE“, for some would have you believe that their engagement in charitable function is, in fact, Christian love, but fail to see that unbelievers can also be charitable without any reference, reliance or even acceptance to the demands of God’s Word.
The Bible sets down the parameters for what constitutes “LOVE” and enunciates it so clearly that dictionary definitions become superfluous because they are men’s interpretation of what they would like to see as “LOVE“.
I am not about to launch into an explanation of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 which sets out clearly the defined characteristics that constitute love, and this aspect of “LOVE” as recorded, is only on the horizontal level, whereas the first commandment takes the issue far beyond that dimension, and in far greater depth, in calling for our total physical and mental engagement in our love for God. But we must not neglect to read on, for the next requirement is similar, in verse 31 of Mark 12 “The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
IF WE DO NOT GET THE “ORDER” RIGHT, WE WILL NEVER MAKE THE PROGRESS.
1 Corinthians 14:40 But ALL THINGS SHOULD BE DONE with regard to decency and propriety and IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. (Do you recall how earlier we referred to this as “PREPARATION“?)
1 Corinthians 14:33(A) FOR HE [Who is the source of their prophesying] is not a God of confusion and disorder BUT OF PEACE AND ORDER.
THE OBJECT “THE LORD YOUR GOD”
To use the term “OBJECT” here is not to infer in any way that God is a “thing”, it is to highlight the priority that we have as the recipient and purpose of our LOVE. Trying to love other people without first loving God is an absolute futile effort at best.
Loving God with “all our heart” means that we have an attitude of adoration and worship because we understand that there is a need for us to reciprocate the sort of love Jesus exhibited. It becomes quite confronting, for it is not those charitable actions that are within our grasp that constitute love, like providing some funds to one who is in need, or making a meal for one who is ill, or running an older citizen to the hospital or doctor, LOVE INVOLVES SACRIFICE, EVEN TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR OWN LIVES. Jesus example was made to highlight the intensity with which we must love God.
Anything else that comes either between or even with loving God forms an idolatrous union that conflicts with all the principles God requires.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, OR WHATEVER IS TRUSTED IN).
John 15:12-14 This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.
THE MEANS “WHOLE HEART, SOUL, MIND, THOUGHT, UNDERSTANDING, STRENGTH”.
These six different areas of involvement of our being makes this aspect of potential “SLACKNESS” take on a dimension of importance that rarely receives adequate attention. Are we able to differentiate between these different attributes, or are we ambivalent in our application?
Our heart is nominated as the first attribute in which to evidence our “wholeheartedness”, probably because our attitudes and intentions or motives originate in our heart. It controls how we think, and how we speak, how we love, how sincere we are, for out of the heart proceeds the initiation of action. The heart is the centre and the source of the whole inner life – thinking, feeling, and willing.
Matthew 15:18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
God is concerned, primarily, about our heart. He wants us to have a healthy heart. He said to Samuel,
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART. 
SOUL, MIND, THOUGHT,
The soul and the spirit are the two primary immaterial aspects that Scripture ascribes to humanity. It can be confusing to attempt to discern the precise differences between the two. The word “spirit” refers only to the immaterial aspect of humanity. Human beings have a spirit, but we are not spirits. While human beings HAVE a spirit, human beings ARE souls. In its most basic sense, the word “soul” means “life.” Hebrews differentiates by nominating “SOUL” as the “BREATH OF LIFE” whilst contrasting “SPIRIT” as “IMMORTAL“.
Hebrews 4:12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energising, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analysing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
“Heart…soul…and mind, thought” cover every aspect of our personalities, our being, and our thoughts, in fact, everything which influences our feelings, beliefs, desires, and intentions. “STRENGTH” also translated into English as “MIGHT,” is the effort and passion with which we love God. Where the heart, soul, and mind direct how we feel and what we do, MIGHT is the force that determines the extent. It covers our whole attitude in the way we carry out or “DUTIES“, and Ecclesiastes leaves no wriggle room. The Greek root word is “ischyos“, and extends the meaning to force, power, and ability.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going
THE REASON
Do we need any other reason other than this is a commandment of the Lord? The test of our love is bound up in whether we keep His commandments.
John 14:15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
Why is it that we so often find that the keeping of the instructions of the Word so hard to apply? Dare I suggest that we are still inclined to want to follow our own persuasions or to think that our comfort can come ahead of His conformity. But God’s Word eliminates that potential excuse when John stated,
1 John 5:3 For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. AND THESE ORDERS OF HIS ARE NOT IRKSOME (BURDENSOME, OPPRESSIVE, OR GRIEVOUS).
1 John 3:24 All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.
We have a perfect example in Fathers tolerance towards us, and the ERV Bible says it so clearly, and we are encouraged to follow the patterns set in God’s Word so that we also reflect His nature and character.
2 Peter 3:9 (ERV) The Lord is not being slow (Or “SLACK” in the terms we are using … comments mine) in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. (Slackness”) But God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning.
Is our “SLACK” really “SLOWNESS“, are we slow to obey, slow to apply the principles of God’s Word until a more convenient time, slow to eliminate those preferences that conflict with a whole heart after the Lord? The above Scripture would seem to infer that “SLOWNESS” is not a characteristic that would serve God’s purpose in our usefulness to the Kingdom.
COURTESY “EVERLASTING STRENGTH”
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Ross Smith 