2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 English Standard Version

11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.[a]

Footnote [a] Greek to eat their own bread

Reading the footnote here helps us put this into spiritual context and not our worldly occupations. We were speaking about walking with the Lord and we can do that while we do worldly work as well as doing spiritual work. 

The idea here is that we walk with Christ and He is at work all around us wherever we go. It is an invitation from Him to join in that work when we can see what He is doing. This invitation is a spiritual invitation, not a secular one. The reason that the Greek term “to eat their own bread” is in reference to communion with the basic meaning of together with Christ.

Partaking of Christ in this manner is doing the will of the Father together with Christ. If we reach out to touch the lives of another without Christ, we become busybodies and we are not doing the will of the Father.

There is a hint here in Paul’s writing. Work quietly implies humility, to submit to Christ in what He is doing and not stepping forward to be seen as more than what we are in Christ.

The scripture above is just one of many instructions that reach out to us when we become busybodies. We will have our consciences pricked when we can see our behavior in the scriptures. That is an opportunity to confess and set our minds on serving Christ rather than self.

This is not to say any of my readers are guilty of such actions. This is not an accusation. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to prick our consciences, not mine.

Awareness of what Christ is doing around us is required and that awareness can only be discovered by having a close personal relationship with Christ.