DEALING WITH DISORDER

“…withdraw from every brother who WALKS DISORDERLY and not according to the tradition which he received from us – 2 Thessalonians 3: 6

The Christian has important roles in DEALING WITH DISORDER in society: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who WALKS DISORDERLY and not according to the tradition which he received from us…For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a DISORDERLY MANNER, not working at all, but are busybodies” (2The.3: 6, 11). This however begins with knowing how to deal with brethren who walk disorderly: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end be of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1Pet.4:17). If we cannot deal appropriately with disorderly or unruly brethren, how can we handle disorder in society? If we contribute to disorder, then we are disqualified from order!

Paul instructed Titus to SET THINGS in ORDER in Crete (Tit.1:4-5). God is a God of order. Scripture consistently affirms how important order is to the Lord; He doesn’t tolerate disorder. His Word gives ample insight into His response to disorder. Order must be a crucial factor in the life of any Christian who desires to see the grace of God produce results in his or her life. Such order starts from the heart. We must submit to divine order in our lives: in how we think, how we speak, and what we do. To put God first; that’s order – putting God first in our endeavours, which infers putting His Word first; always asking what He thinks, and what He wants! Giving priority to prayer and study of God’s Word will produce order in our daily lives.

To make worthwhile use of time – the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years – and to experience the blessings of the Spirit, we’ve got to put things in order. As we set things in order in our lives, we’ll be setting ourselves up for the manifestation of God’s Grace and Glory in a tremendous way. The Lord will set us on course to do all things right, decently, and in order. His grace will work in us mightily, producing great success and victory in life, based on order in our hearts! We’ll exude the excellence of the Spirit in everything and become Models for others.

Christians should be Models of decency, diligence, and excellence, not “busybodies” or idle brats. Paul himself was a Model: “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for labouring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you…” (1The.2:9a).  Again, he testified: “nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you” (2The.3:8).

Idleness or indolence is the mother of disorderly living and societal disorder. When we live as Models of Order, then we can deal with manifestations of disorder in our environment or among unruly individuals or groups. Of course, this is never by fleshly power or might, but by the Spirit of God! Sometimes, separation from disorder is required to deal decisively with disorder: “withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly” (2The.3:6). The orderly must be cautious to not be corrupted by disorderliness: “Can two walk together, unless  they are agreed?” (Amo. 3:3). The Psalmist says: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (Psa.1:1).

Most significantly, in the Book of beginnings, God dealt with chaos and disorder through the overwhelming Presence of His Spirit and the release of His Light-producing Word: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light” (Gen.1: 2-3). Following God’s Example, we must be disseminators of the Light of Order within our circles of influence.