The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:4)
We have become spiritually lazy as a Christian culture. Christianity to most people today may be associated with going to church on Sunday, making it out to mid-week service or Bible Study. But is that all there is to this Christian life? Is that all that God requires of us?
The Bible says that God has given us everything required for life and godliness through His divine power. Not only that, He has given precious and magnificent promises so that we can partake of His divine nature, yet we have to embrace it (2 Peter 1:3). We cannot afford to be lackadaisical about our Christian life, limiting ourselves to just what we receive on Sunday or mid-week. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18, the Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians about idleness. He warns them to stay away from believers who are idle and disruptive and do not live according to the Apostles teaching.
Sometimes we think we are doing so much, when in actuality we are not doing enough. Oswald Chambers in the “Spiritually Lazy Saint” says, “We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world.” Hmm…. “The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy.”
The Apostle Paul says that we are to be transformed by renewing our mind with the Word of God. God’s Word holds transformational power that changes the mind and thus changes the lifestyle of the Christian walk. The Lord is convinced of better things for you. He doesn’t want you to become lazy in your walk, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. He has great things planned for you, and desires that each of you to show diligence to the very end so that what your hope may be fully realized. Don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised (Hebrews 6:9-12).
These are challenging times. Even when the world is changing we must still serve Him with our whole hearts. The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so that they cannot see the light of the gospel message. As believers, we are not to hide our light under a bushel from those who desperately need Him. Refuse to be a lazy Christian, and resist a passive, apathetic attitude – Joyce Meyers.
I won’t hesitate to continually remind you of these truths, even though you are aware of them and are well established in the present measure of truth you have already embraced. And as long as I live I will continue to awaken you with this reminder, (2 Peter 1:12-13)
Blessings,
Dr. Francine is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She hosts a broadcast called “Going Beyond Church” on Facebook. You can connect with Dr. Francine on Facebook at @afrancinegreen as well as on Twitter @beyond_2017. Visit her website at http://www.afrancinegreen.com.
BEYOND CHURCH WALLS 