1 Timothy 5. There are all kinds of people in a church congregation, right?!

As believers, we are called respect other believers at all stages of life and spirituality – and to do so by balancing gentleness and compassion with courage and clarity. Paul tells Timothy do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, all in purity (5:1-2). The church congregation is to be like a large family, where everyone is treated with respect and kindness.

Next Paul offers almost an entire chapter about how to deal with widows. For context, remember that in the Roman empire of the first century there was no such thing as social security, food stamps, rehab facilities, or retirement homes. People needed their extended families to take care of them in times of crisis and in their later years. Paul writes if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (5:8).

It appears that this church in Ephesus had become an alternate source of assistance for people who had need. That is a great idea, one that is encouraged throughout scripture! However, it seems like quite a few people were taking advantage of the system and grabbing free handouts when perhaps they were not destitute. I am sure there was a line out the door in Ephesus every day of people looking for free handouts, much like there are 300 cars lined up at 6 AM at our church every time we host a free food truck for people in need.

Since the church does not have a money-tree generating endless resources, how is a leader to decide who gets assistance and who does not? Paul offers guidance for honoring widows who are truly widows and gives standards for the enrollment of widows in the food assistance program (5:3,9-16).

Here’s the line that shocked me – She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives (5:6). Think about that for a moment. Something about being overly focused on your own comfort, your own desires, your self – this self-indulgent tendency – causes a part of us to die inside, even as we go on living our lives. Yikes!

Not only is there a problem with self-indulgence, these women have learned to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers but also gossips and busy bodies, saying what they should not (5:13). Again, yikes! It seems that too much free time, and too many resources devoted to your own well-being, does not result in good things for people. Instead, Paul counsels that people should be busy – at work, caring for children, running households, serving the community, and meeting the needs of others.

How do you spend your days? Are you at work? Are you caring for children or elderly parents? Do you run a household? Are you serving the community, helping meet the needs of others? Idleness is not good. She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. We are called to something greater.