Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

QT 23 Sep 19, 1 Thess 4 :11-12, Work hard -- it builds my witness


1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 (ESV) — 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

NOTE: In other words, verse 12 suggests that being dependent on others financially is the opposite of a strong Christian witness. Paul is not saying welfare is bad, but that they we should avoid it if at all possible. Now there will come times when life puts a person in a situation that makes it almost unavoidable, but it should not be a pattern of our life. We should work and we should spend only what we earn. A good witness is characterized by being a good citizen and a helpful member of the community.

PRAYER: Father, help me to be seen by all as a positive contributor to my community, church, social circle, and work. Give me grace to stand up where I need to and to speak gently and respectfully. Give me grace to let things pass that aren't really that important as pertains to real life.

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