July 23 | 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 3:6-15
- Beth Voltmann
- Jul 23, 2025
- 3 min read
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Seize the Day
By Beth Voltmann
I grew up with a father who valued faith, family and work. The expression that he always used and often ended his letters with was “Carpe Diem” (meaning Seize the Day). In essence, Paul’s second letter to the believers in Thessalonica was urging the same: Don’t waste the day! God has given us work to do!
As I write this, a news story from about a decade ago comes to mind. At the time, several reporters were intrigued to interview a young man living a life of leisure in California. Jason G., unemployed at 29, was spending his daytime hours as a surfer dude and playing in a band with friends by night, all while living off of his monthly government food stamp stipend of $200 (with which he would occasionally purchase lobster.) He was quoted as saying, “It’s free food. It’s awesome.”
Can you imagine what St. Paul would have said to any young believers he encountered living such a life of idleness?
“We gave you this rule: 'The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command to settle down and earn the food they eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10b-12)
Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines idleness from a Christian worldview. Here is an excerpt along with a portion of scripture (KJV) that Webster added for emphasis:
I’DLENESS, noun Abstinence from labor or employment...the state of doing nothing.
Idleness is the parent of vice.
Through the idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. Ecclesiastes 10:18
Living the leisurely life without working might seem great for a while, but it’s a path to nothing good. If we live that way, things will begin to “droppeth through”!
Just as Paul encouraged the Thessalonian believers to follow his example, the work ethic my father modeled is never far from my mind. As a young girl in Arizona, Dad would ask me to gather the thousands of small black yucca cactus seeds that the wind had scattered across our lawn. It was tedious work and the pay was minimal - 10¢ per every 100 seeds. I could not earn my wages until I had also counted what I collected! I now realize that the work my earthly father tasked me with was valuable training for the good work my Heavenly Father would ask of me.
“And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”
(2 Thess. 3:13)
PRAYER
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thess. 2:16-17)
Let us take these words to heart and “seize the day.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BETH VOLTMANN
After moving to Ohio in 1997 with my husband and four children, I developed a hunger for God’s Word through adult teaching and women’s Bible study at UALC. My passion is to help others understand Scripture so that they may grow in their desire for more of God and experience the new life offered to us through Christ Jesus.
It has been a couple of days, but thank you for writing this!
I remember years ago the Lord convicted me to find work with this text. The work has been a blessing. It opened doors for me to shine His light were no one else was.