My wife and I worshipped at High Pointe Church in Philadelphia on December 1, 2019. Our host, Pastor Folarin Ogunyinka, took leave of us to attend to a woman after service. She had showed up in church the previous Sunday with children and complained of being homeless. The church rallied round, gave her $400 and some groceries. They recommended that she move to a shelter where homeless people can have some temporary relief at government’s expense. No one knew precisely how much of that counsel she imbibed, but when she showed up on that December 1, she said she had run out of money. My first impression was that not many people who are working can afford to spend $400 a week in America. The woman had seen the liberality of the church and probably wanted to exploit it.

If you want your needs met and keep your dignity in the process, the secret is hard work.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Apostle Paul advised the brethren to distance themselves from those who walk disorderly. A few verses later, he brought out the context of that warning. In verse 11 specifically, he noted that some were among the saints who “walk disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.” For the Apostle idleness is disorderliness. We have quite a number of disorderly people in many churches today. A number of able-bodied individuals just want to rely on welfare from the church. People like this will likely resort to blackmail when the church stops the handouts. If you want your needs met and keep your dignity in the process, the secret is hard work. Your God-given intellect must be engaged in some productive ventures. Then you can maintain your sense of pride that your hands are ministering to your necessities.