Laziness or Diligence

Chuckle: "Why did Moses wander in the desert for 40 years? Even then men wouldn't ask for directions."

Quote: “Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labour." --Leonardo da Vinci

"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised" (Hebrews 6:12 NIV).

Lazy is defined as, "not eager or willing to work or busy oneself; slow and sluggish." Has anyone ever accused you of being lazy? I can think of no greater put-down than to be labeled as "lazy," especially by our Lord. As Christians, our hope (assurance) of salvation should keep us from becoming lazy or feeling bored in God's service. Instead, we should be like the athlete who trains hard and runs with all his strength, while remembering the reward that lies ahead. We should never be accused of being lazy when it comes to serving our Lord and others. Here are three characteristics of a Christian who is not lazy but is a diligent one.

Godly Living. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is you spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1 NIV). As living sacrifices, we daily lay aside our own desires to follow him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting him completely to guide us. This type of sacrifice is possible out of gratitude for our sins having been forgiven and for our belonging to Christ.

Godly Loving. Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13 NIV). Jesus loved us so much that he gave himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. We may not be called upon to die for someone, but we can show sacrificial love in various other ways: listening, helping, encouraging, giving, and praying. Give all the love you can, then love some more.

Godly Laboring. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (I Corinthians 15:58 NIV). Sometimes we become apathetic about serving our Lord because we do not see the outcomes we had hoped for. God would never have us become discouraged over apparent lack of results of our labors. Since we know our labor is not in vain, we should always work enthusiastically as we search for new opportunities for service.

Love, Jerry & Dotse