If we take away a person’s ability to be useful and productive, we rob them of their dignity. To feel that they are a member of a family, group, or community, people need to be able to contribute to it. If they cannot, they feel that they are excess baggage – a burden. Is it any wonder that they become bitter and resentful?
Carl Rogers said that people need to “self-actualize,” or as the U.S. Army used to put it … to “Be all that you can be.” As a nation we diminish our fellow citizens when we give them “handouts,” rather than a “hand up.”
We need to vote for candidates who will return high-paying, responsible jobs to the United States. In their hearts, people want the opportunity to earn a decent living, rather than to be paid not to work. Let’s give our friends and neighbors back their dignity, rather than to relegate them to living off government “chump change.”
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. (2Thessalonians 3:6-13 NLT) *
* https://biblehub.com/nlt/2_thessalonians/3.htm
