Be faithful & not slothful
We have been saved by God for the purpose that we can serve Him. In Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul commanded us not to be slothful in business in serving the Lord. The Greek term “spoudē” (trans. as “business” in English) basically means diligence, care and haste. This is to be applied in any business in our lives where diligence is required; be it secular business of our employment or spiritual business in our service unto the Lord. As long as we are believers, we must exercise diligence in all manner of our work. We have to exercise responsibility and great care in our work. Being diligence in our workplace is a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16).
The same applies to our spiritual service unto the Lord as well. The business of the Lord requires much diligence. Hence, we have to give every ounce of energy, every second of our time and every inch of diligence to do the Lord’s business. Sometimes, I marvel that many believers, while being very diligent in their workplace, but when it comes to the business of church, they do a slipshod work. While at workplace, they will give 101% in their work, at church, they will barely give more than 51% in the business of the Lord. Why is it so? Is it because they are paid a salary at their workplace and while in the church, they “pay” tithes and offerings, and hence, they expected to be served rather than to serve? If you have such a thought, let me ask you to consider to whom you are accountable unto? In the workplace, it is your boss; but in the church, your boss is not the pastor, but the Lord. So, would you prefer a commendation from your boss or from the Lord? Are your eyes merely focused on the temporal things of the earth or on things which are of eternal value? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt. 6:21). Hence, in all our business, whether be it secular or spiritual, we must always exercise diligence because we are believers called to serve the Lord, be it at our workplace or at our church. We cannot be slothful when diligence is called for, especially in the Lord’s business.
Slothful simply means sluggish and by implication, laziness. We must make the difference between the works of our hands and attitude of our hearts. Slothfulness is an attitude of the heart. It is not about a person who is incapable of doing things at a great speed. The Book of Proverbs will paint you the picture that slothfulness is an attitude of the heart rather than the works of the hands. “The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth” (Prov. 26:15). This speaks about the attitude of a slothful man who put his hands into a bowl for food but too lazy to draw it out to put the food into his mouth. He thinks that it will be too tiring and taxing for him to do that. It is not that he has no hands to feed himself
but a slothful person is one who does not want to use his own hands to feed himself. Probably, he expected to be fed without doing anything. So, what will happen to him? He will die of hunger. (Prov. 21:25). Another proverb says, “The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets” (Prov. 22:13). A slothful man will always come up with an excuse not to work. Hence, you can see that slothfulness is not the inability to serve God in the Lord’s business. Instead, it is an attitude of one who refuses to do God’s work when called upon.
In the parable of talents, the third servant who was given a talent was condemned by the master because he refused to obey the master and put the talent to get gain. He just buried that talent. Then he gave the excuse that the master was demanding person. The master condemned the servant as a wicked and slothful person. This parable teaches us to be faithful and to not to be slothful. God is not unjust. He will not call to us to do what we can’t. If He calls us, He will surely enable us to do it.
So, if we focus on the burdens of our work and think that we are unable to do this or that which the Lord has called us unto, and decided to hide the talent which the Lord has given us, then we would be no different from that slothful servant. Instead, we should be faithful to what the Lord has called us unto, and to serve Him faithfully till He returns. Whatever talents which the Lord has given us, whether great or small, let it would be used in the Lord’s business.
God has redeemed us by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by the grace through faith in Christ alone. We are saved so that we can serve God. Serving God is a privilege which God has reserved only for His children. Moreover, God has created in us upon our salvation, to do good works in the service of the Lord. We serve God to please God and not men. Hence, the apostle Paul urged us, “12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12-13). On the one hand, Paul reminded us that we must work out the salvation which God has given us; but at the same time, he noted that it will be God working in us to perform it.
Thus, if God calls us to serve Him, we must believe that God has confidence that we can do it because He will work in us to accomplish it. We have to be faithful and slothful to do it. We have to depend upon the faithfulness of God. Again, the apostle Paul encouraged us with these words, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1Thes. 5:24). Be faithful and not slothful in the Lord’s business! That is all God asked of us. So, let us then be found faithfully labouring in the Lord’s business. HCL.
