Did you look out Tuesday morning, see what was happening, and reschedule a few things to stay at home? I did. Some schools closed for the day. Some people postponed medical appointments. I was asked if I would cancel an evening ladies meeting. It was tempting. But when I talked to my husband about it, he just said, “Hundreds of people had to go to work today.”
His remark made me remember how easy it is to become accustomed to comfort, and when difficulty arises, alter plans rather than enduring.
A local artist told me that he is very much aware of that tendency. He has learned to discipline himself to paint landscapes in any weather. He said that if he allowed bad weather to keep him from working, soon ANY weather would be bad.
This almost perfect spring weather lulled many of us right into our lawn chairs. Boots and heavy jackets have long been stashed in the back corner of the closet. But along comes a foot of snow, not too uncommon in Alberta, and it suddenly became difficult to do some things that were quite ordinary a few weeks ago. Frankly, I felt like going back to bed for the day.
The book of Proverbs really prodded me out of my lethargy. I remembered verses like “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; therefore he will beg during the harvest and have nothing” (20:4), and “the soul of the lazy person desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” (13:4)
What does it take to get up and get going, in spite of adverse conditions? Sometimes it is hunger: “The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.” (16:26) (Good incentive)
Sometimes it is a sense of responsibility for others (27:23-27), or a desire for wealth (10:4), or for honor (10:5). Whatever it is, the Bible calls the diligent “wise” and the sluggard, one who will say “There is a lion outside, I will be slain in the streets,” is called a fool. (22:13)
Granted, there are some people without the ability to safely drive on icy roads. And sometimes there are genuine dangers that should be avoided. But there are times I have avoided work just because I did not want to be uncomfortable.
I wonder how successful that artist would be without his philosophy. And I wonder how much more I would accomplish if I did not allow snow, cold, rain, aching bones, and a vast number of inconveniences to slow me down?
My dad used to tease us when we were on our way somewhere. He would let us go a distance, call us, and when we stopped, he would ask, “How far would you have been if you hadn’t stopped?”
Interesting question, especially on days where it would be easier to crawl back into bed than go on.
Do “persistent planners” frustrate you? How about the people who just “take each day as it comes”?
Two extreme personality types they certainly are, and put two of them on the same committee, or in the same marriage, and there will most likely be some major wars. The planner wants control and order, the easy-going person is more apt to trust that order will come without control, and that extensive planning is folly.
One thing that I have noticed about myself is that I tend to try and order or plan the things that I should be trusting God to take care of, and I am free and easy about the things that He has given me the responsibility to plan. Such perversity no doubt frustrates God, sometimes upsets those around me, and certainly steals a great deal of peace of mind that otherwise could be mine. Often the problem is a question of responsibility. Who does what?
Responsibility is a broad topic. Some would give God the weather, the seasons, and anything else that they cannot change, while they busily try to control everything else.
Then there are those people who believe that God is responsible for almost all things, leaving them with very little to do. For example, “God will find me a job,” they say, and refuse to write a resume, answer an ad, or go from place to place making inquiries.
In between those extremes are a few who try to keep a balance. I recall one time being so frustrated with my lack of trust in God, and my inability to be responsible that I sat down and wrote out a two-column list with “God does . . . ” at the top of one column, and “I do . . . ” at the top of the other. After the list had several items on it, I wrote at the bottom, “ . . . and don’t you forget it!” But making a list didn’t change my temperament.
Some soul-searching in the Word of God has helped me to see that my error comes from two sinful attitudes. One is pride. The other is laziness.
Pride tends to make a person want to be in charge, to play God as it were, not only over their own life, but in the lives of others. Pride keeps me from trusting Him to do what only He can do. Pride will manipulate, calculate, and determine. Pride pushes me to push His limits, and doubt His control. Pride will urge me to run when he tells me to wait.
On the other hand, laziness has no intention of playing God. Instead, it sits me back, props up my feet, and coaxes me into thinking that somehow, God will miraculously do those things that He tells me to do, therefore I don’t have to do anything.
There is a place for waiting, even relaxing with feet up and hands folded. Faith sometimes requires that. And there is a place for hard work, consistent effort, and much planning. Faith will also require that. But God says there is no place in my life for pride, or laziness.
The problem is how to tell the difference between pride and zeal, between laziness and humble trust. The solution is having a sensitive spirit, learning how to listen to God, and reading His Word, comparing what he says to the task at hand. He is willing to reveal impure motives, and to replace pride with His humility, laziness with His zeal.
Concerning our planning, He says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
And when we sit back, He can move us . . . “the LORD stirred up the spirit of . . . the governor... the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work . . .” (Haggai 1:14)
As we make an effort to learn and to obey, God is able to keep the balance.
We just received a seed catalog in the mail. Thoughts ran rapidly from planting seeds and watering them, to weeds. Ugh!
Thoughts of weeds were enough to put the catalog aside and postpone gardening for a few months, maybe indefinitely.
Weeding is tedious work. Besides, a couple of days of sleeping late and moving slow were beginning to dull my enthusiasm to do much of anything. Even the well-formed habit of early morning Bible reading and prayer was slipping. By 1 p.m. on Boxing Day, I had to force myself to go to the study and read the Scripture selection for the day.
“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles covered the face . . . and the stone wall . . . was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall poverty come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34.
Biblically, thorns and thistles speak of several things. One is God’s curse on the earth because of man’s sin (Genesis 3:17-19). Another is the cares of this world that choke a person’s spiritual life (Matthew 13:22).
With that, several principles of gardening came back to mind, especially weeding. Weeds take over my garden without any help from me at all. But the desired plants must be tended daily to produce fruit. That requires work.
So here I was, “taking a little sleep, and folding my hands,” slacking off in the tending of the garden of my soul. With no early morning weeding for one day, by that afternoon I was already more interested in personal pursuits, maybe even another nap, than spending time with my God and obeying Him. That is exactly the same attitude the seed catalog revealed. I am basically lazy.
What kind of harvest can a lazy Christian expect? Not much of the right kind. Sitting back and folding my hands only frees the weeds to do their thing.
God uses His Word to cultivate my heart. It reveals sin, corrects it, purifies, encourages, teaches truth, exposes lies, gives hope, builds faith, warns, comforts, and centers my heart on eternal values and on God. If I expect my life to be Christlike and fruitful for Him, I need the daily nurture of this marvelous resource.
When I neglect it, I leave my heart open for the weeds.
