Awhile back I had set a goal for myself to drink an entire gallon of water every day. Let me tell you – it’s really, REALLY challenging.
- You have to try to find a way to remember how much is left to drink throughout the day.
- You have to pee every 30 minutes LIKE CLOCKWORK.
- You feel like you ate an entire watermelon all day long. Seriously. You can hear yourself sloshing.
- So. Many. Bathroom. Trips.
However, all that being said, it’s still totally worth it. I’ve never felt healthier than when I was on my water habit. It helped me
- eat less
- lose weight quicker
- have clearer skin
- have less drama in my life
Wait. What?
Yep. True story. I saw a joke about this on social media and I laughed at it mostly because IT’S TOTALLY TRUE!!!! The joke said:
NUTRITION FACT: If you drink a gallon of water per day, you won’t have time for other people’s drama because you’ll be too busy peeing. Stay hydrated my friends.
Pinterest, anonymous
In Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, he cautions his readers about staying away from being idle and meddling in other people’s business. Specifically, he wrote:
“Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘Whoever does not work should not eat.’ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people’s business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people – no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.“
2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 NLT 1998
Paul wanted to remind his friends that idleness will just lead to trouble: getting nosey, gossiping, becoming a financial burden on loved ones, etc. In short, it becomes very easy to fall into sin if you’re not keeping yourself productive. Likewise, it’s much easier to do good and love others if you stay focused on doing those things rather than going through each day without a focus.
If I am to apply Paul’s command to my life today, that means I will:
- Transform idle time into productive time (with activities like healthy habits and hard work).
- Transform social media scrolling and Netflix bingeing time into prayer and scripture meditation time.
What does Paul’s command mean for you?
Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to stay focused on you even when it’s easier to get caught up in everything else around me. I need your help to stay motivated and stay focused. Please guide me and keep me strong. You alone are worth every moment of my focus. Amen.
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
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