Working with his hands

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

What fantastic instruction! This is good for anybody not just those who have a pilfering problem. If you would take some time and read the before and after scriptures you might think this verse is out of place but nothing in God’s Holy Word is out of place.

The scripture in verse .26-27 speaks about anger and how the devil can take advantage of a bad temper. Verse .29 instructs us concerning tongue control and the proper use of our words. There is more to verse .28 than initially meets the eye. Obviously the remedy to greed is to give what you have earned. The passage infers that we should work with the motive to give to those in need. To be a giver is an attribute of a Christian. The chapter concludes by admonishing us to be Forgivers!

Our motive, “to give to him that needeth”, and manual labor, “working with his hands the thing which is good” are aids to tongue control.

When we speak words of vengeance and vindictiveness because of a wound we received we steal from God! Vengence is mine; I will repay saith the Lord – Romans 12:19. To seek vengeance is to steal from God. Yet doing something that is profitable with your hands so as to be a blessing to someone else is a great remedy for temper and tongue control!

Mark it down! The most critical people are the least busy with their hands! They are people with too much time on their hands. They spend their waking hours stewing over a wound, a hurt, or a disappointment and therefore cannot help but to say something corrupt!

Get busy being a blessing to someone and let God take care of those who have hurt you. Who knows you may forget all about it as you share the wealth of your hands with someone in need. It may be the wealth of a pastry! It may be the wealth of a dinner! It may be the wealth of cookies! It may be the wealth of cash! It may be the wealth of a mowed lawn! It may be the wealth of a washed car! Hopefully you know where I am going with this.

Get the hands busy for something good and the heart should follow!