A little sleep, a
little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on
you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
When hearing the plans that another person had for the days
ahead, a wise woman once asked “But what are you going to do of value today?”
The woman was keying on an important concept…the concept that the lives we live
should provide some kind of the value to the world around us. And to drill down
a bit and be more specific, the gifts, abilities, and opportunities that God
places in our hands should be used to serve him. We can use every good thing
that God has blessed us with to point the world to him. The text above seems to
speak specifically to our physical needs…when we don’t use our abilities to
work in this life, when we get lazy and waste the gifts God has provided, we
will eventually find ourselves staring poverty straight in the face. But I
think the text above also speaks to our spiritual well-being. When we fail to
use the gifts God has provided in service to him, we will find ourselves mired
in spiritual poverty. When we get lazy in seeking God and seeking ways to serve
him, our faith and our relationship with him grows stagnant, robotic, and
insignificant. And when our relationship with the Lord wanes, we suffer. We
start to become more insecure, we worry more and fear what might be around the next
corner. But when we commit each day to serving God, we see that relationship
growing stronger with each new step. We see the love God shines through us not
only builds up the other person, but it also builds us up. So today, may we not grow lazy or complacent
in our service to the Lord…may we seek out opportunities to follow the Holy Spirit
to opportunities of service…and may we give thanks and praise to God that he gives
us such a noble and worthwhile role as a servant to him! To God alone be the
glory!
No comments:
Post a Comment