One father told his little son that he couldn’t go to worship because he was suffering from a severe case of voluntary inertia. “I bet you ain’t,” the little boy answered, “I bet you’re just lazy.”
Jesus, the Lord of the Harvest, always has positions available for workers. No one has an excuse to stand “idle in the marketplace” (Matthew 20:3), for there is “work to do, work on every hand.” As long as there is a lost soul on earth (Luke 19:10; Mark 16:15-16), as long as there is one needy person (James 1:27), as long as there is breath in our lungs to praise the Father (Isaiah 38:18; 1 Peter 2:5, 9), our work is not done.
To cut away the nice verbiage and get to the truth, some Christians are going to be lost on Judgment Day because they are lazy. Some are standing on the promises, others only sitting on the premises. No Christian should be satisfied to just be a name on a roll. Each should be a hand in the work. Fill a place–not just a space.
The Book says, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11; Hebrews 6:12). Martin Luther said, “If I rest, I rust.” Leonardo da Vinci observed, “Iron rust from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so inaction saps the vigor of the mind.” George Whitefield quipped, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”
[Editor’s Note: A young family man, an elder’s son, recently said to me: “If one lives a righteous life, he can rest for eternity!” I like that. Work for the Lord tirelessly now, rest later after this life is over. There is much to be done and it will only be accomplished if Christians do it. ler]
