The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1954-09-03

The Bible gives us DR.. Foreman
some light on work in general, as
God sees it.
Tnere Is No Free Lunch
The little church at Thessalon-
lea was troubled with 'mooch-
ers.' The people there had got
the idea that the end OF the world
was right around the corner.
Jesus would come again soon, in
their own lifetime They did not
see the use in working airy more;
the house they were building tfor
instance would not be finished
before the end would come, the
crop they were planting would
never be harvested before the
Judgment Day So these eager.
expectant Christians just quit
their jobs in droves but OF
course they had 10 eat. So they
became free leaders. boarding
with such members of the parish
as did keep their jobs When their
travelling Bishop Paul heard about
this, he wrote them a very plain
letter. indeed ne had said some
plain words while he was there
getting the church organized only
they seem TO have forgotten it.
He that will not work, let him
not eat, he said. Help the needy,
yes by all means; but don't feed
tie lazy. There is only one basic
rule OF economics tas an economist
has said and it is one anybody
can understand: There is no free
lunch
Whot Is Useful Work.
Now there is no special virtue
in work, in itself A man could
work very hard shoveling sand
from one pile on the beach to
another pile, and back again. all
day long, But II would do nobody
any good To be sure. he would be
developing his muscles, but he
could do that better some other
way at some more useful Job.
The Bibles references to work
always bring in the idea that the
work is to be useful Work that
performs no service to any lone is
not for the serious Christian. This
Is a particularly important point
for young Christians deciding on a
life's work. We ought to work. OF
course, We don't want to be objects
OF charity. we don't want to be
carried, we want to do something
useful in the world. But what kind
OF work is useful Paul told the
Thessalonians that they should
work with their hands, because
they were all hand workers, but
some Of the most useful work in
hands. Two points should be borne
in mind: first that as a Christian
/ ought to seek the most useful
work ! can do and second that |
can be most useful in what car do
best.
Growing by Working
Work makes the man. Or at
least, work shapes the man, Look
at any picture OF high school
senior class; they look all about
alike. and for that matter look like
any other senior class in America.
But take picture (if you could get
it) OF that same class twenty five
years later, or more. when they
have all been at work in various
jobs for years. Some may be
drifters. ne'er-do-wells, and they
look it; mishts because they have
never stuck TO useful work. The
others who have stayed on one job
oil another. will look different by
now. partly because Of the kinds
of work they have been doing: The
housewife. the school teacher. the
farmer. the banker, the writer. the
soldier. the artist-they do not look
alike any more. We grow by work
ing, But there is another question
too: Does my work help me TO
grow as a Christian? No doubt the
slave drivers OF ancient Egypt
grew by their work-grew more
devilish; Moses was growing. out
in the wilderness Of indian tending
sheep. But he was growing more
Godlike. II is not simply what we
do that counts; it is the spirit in
which we do it,
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