1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Be Diligent and Work Hard
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
St. Paul tells us to make it our ambition to lead a quiet life...He tells us to work, be diligent in our affairs...St. Paul knows if we are idle we can become involved in the affairs of others, and if we are not careful, we can lose the respect of others (with the wrong kind of involvement)...
If we are not working, we may become dependent on others... But by keeping a disciplined organized life working hard and with a focus on the LORD, we will not be dependent others, we will earn our daily bread, and with the right job have a pleasure while doing it...
So work hard, be diligent and keep up hope, and keep the faith...