Work Without Complaint
by Dan Jones, M.D.
1 Thessalonians 4:11
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,
2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
Paul had lots to say about work. He certainly supported a strong work ethic with his words. And he was careful to live out an example of providing for himself through his work as a tentmaker. These words to his friends in Thessalonica are typical. In that place, some had decided they could depend on the generosity of others to provide for them. Paul made it clear, God expected those capable to work and provide for his own.
My friends living in the leprosy community taught me so many lessons in life. One of those lessons was about work, pride, and self-sufficiency. If any group of people could be excused from working, many in this community qualified. Most of the adults had severe deformities of the hands and feet from the ravages of their leprosy. Many had no fingers or toes at all.
The first hint of the occupation of most of the residents of this community was gained from the smell encountered on entering the community. In the summer, you actually encountered it about a mile before arriving in the village. From my years of growing up in rural Mississippi, I instantly recognized the smell associated with chicken houses. This community made up of workers with very significant physical handicaps as a result of their leprosy had organized an industry of producing eggs. This was ingenious from a marketing standpoint, as well. Though handling food by a person with inactive leprosy did not expose the consumer to any risk, the fears were there none the less. So the leaders of that community had chosen a food group – the egg – that would eliminate those fears. Since the shells handled by the workers with leprosy would not be consumed, there was no reason to fear transmission of the disease.
Working in chicken houses and producing eggs is hard work with difficult working conditions. Handling the chickens, the feed, the manure, and the eggs with less than functional hands and feet was not easy. But these wonderful people were cheerful, tireless workers grateful for an opportunity to support their families. Without fail, after visiting the community, I left with a gratitude for the opportunities in my life and a determination to work without complaining of my circumstances.
Lord, thank you for the privilege to work.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
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