Proverbs 12:24
Work hard, and you will be a leader; be lazy, and you will end up a slave.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I heard someone being interviewed on television about her success, and she said, “All of my life, everything centered on work. My parents got up and went to work every day. That was just what you did… this was how we got ahead… this is what I know.” I thought about my own parents and grandparents… especially my dad’s parents – my Mam-ma Polly and grandfather, Truman. Both worked very hard. They went to bed each night right after supper so they could get up around 3:00 a.m. My grandmother cooked a big breakfast, so that my grandfather would have the energy and strength to work hard all day, and she packed his lunch bucket with a healthy lunch.
While Mam-ma cooked breakfast, my Pap-pa tended to his cattle and fed them. Often, my grandmother would also do some household chores … wash a load of laundry, clean the kitchen, iron some clothes. Shortly before 7:00 a.m., she started up the big old yellow school bus that sat in the front yard. If it was winter, she let it warm up a bit before she started her morning route. Then she worked all day as a chairside assistant for a local dentist, while my grandfather operated heavy construction equipment as part of a road crew for our county.
My grandmother picked up her bus riders after school, made the route back to her home, and then she started dinner (and it was never Hamburger Helper!) She worked in her garden, sewed and made hand-pieced quilts, handled household chores, and played with my sister, brother and me when we visited (which was at least once a week).
From the time my grandmother was a little girl of about ten years old, she worked… gathering potatoes for a local farmer, picking strawberries in the spring, carrying firewood for a neighbor, and more. I learned a lot about hard work from my grandparents. And as I have said before…while they virtually scratched out a living all of their lives, I thought they were incredibly rich and successful.
This scripture is about more than working hard for a paycheck. In truth, if you want anything in life, you have to work hard for it. Laziness will make you a slave – and not just to other people upon whom you may depend for the basics of survival… food, clothing and shelter. If you are lazy in how you handle your health and fitness, you will become a slave to doctors, obesity and the troubles it brings, and more. If you are lazy in your relationships, you will become the slave of loneliness and sorrow. If you are lazy in your Christian faith, you will become a slave to the devil. You will give him room – and license – to create frustration and havoc in your life.
Hard work may sound like no fun… but slavery is the real enemy. The key to success and joy is to be responsible and dependable… to work hard… to show up to class or work on time (or early!) and give 100% of your effort… to put determination into your diet and exercise regime…to cultivate your relationships with others… and especially to nurture your relationship with our Heavenly Father.
If you want to follow the ultimate role model for a hard worker, look no further than Jesus Christ. The KING of KINGS was busy every day, traveling and teaching, healing, loving others and demonstrating grace and mercy. Surely His example should demonstrate how important these traits are! If hard work was considered vital to Jesus, shouldn’t it be doubly so for us? How hard are you working these days… in all areas of your life? Where have you become lazy and a bit of a slacker? Isn’t it time to renew your efforts and determination to be free from the slavery of the devil… to live like a leader for the LORD? There is no time like the present… what are you waiting for?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Jeremiah 7:5
The LORD told me to stand by the gate of the temple and to tell the people who were going in that the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said: Pay attention, people of Judah! Change your ways and start living right, then I will let you keep on living in your own country. Don't fool yourselves! My temple is here in Jerusalem, but that doesn't mean I will protect you. I will keep you safe only if you change your ways. Be fair and honest with each other. Stop taking advantage of foreigners, orphans, and widows. Don't kill innocent people. And stop worshiping other gods. Then I will let you enjoy a long life in this land I gave your ancestors.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It’s all about who you know. Isn’t this how many of us operate? You get into certain organizations or events because you know “the guy” in charge… or your dad was a friend of someone who is involved. Or you vouch for someone because, “His brother is a friend of mine,” or “I know her mother.” A lot of people go through life playing the system and riding on the coat-tails of other people in this manner.
But this passage is telling us that we can’t do this with God. When it comes to our own Christianity, it doesn’t matter if our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances are all faithful disciples of Christ. It’s not enough that your parents belong to such-and-such church or your wife goes to worship every Sunday. If you want God to bless you and protect you… if you want to get into heaven and spend Eternity with your Heavenly Father... YOU have to change your ways and make a commitment to serve Him. Nobody can do this for you… and you can’t stand in for anyone else.
God sees everything we do. He hears every word we speak and knows every thought we create. He knows our heart… when we are being sincere – and when we are playing a game. But our relationship with God is no game. We cannot manipulate the Holy Spirit – or expect Him to protect us when we merely “go through the motions.”
It’s time for us to renew our commitment to God. It’s time for us to forget about invoking the name of others or expecting anyone else to serve in our place. We need to get serious about our faith and make real and lasting changes. Are you ready to do this? Haven’t you played around with your relationship with God long enough? If you are willing to make the change, He is willing to meet you more than halfway. How can you refuse such an amazing offer… and why would you? Step out in faith today. Make the needed changes and face God with confidence in His promises… and His amazing protection.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Jeremiah 2:19
Your own sins will punish you, because it was a bitter mistake for you to reject me without fear of punishment. I, the LORD All-Powerful, have spoken.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On TV’s “The Biggest Loser,” contestants sometimes make crazy choices. This is a game, so a contestant may weigh the pros and cons of choosing to participate in a “challenge” where the participants have to eat a lot of calorie-laden sweets to have a chance at “immunity.” Or… a contestant may deliberately attempt to keep from losing weight in an effort to “throw” the results of the weigh-in at the end of each show. In all cases, the trainers inevitably come back to these contestants with one question… “Was it worth it?”
Very seldom do these choices work out well. One contestant had a “extra weight” card that he could use any week he chose. This card would allow him to add pounds to his weight-loss total for the week, and it increased exponentially with each passing week. He opted not to use the card at a weigh-in, and his weight loss was not all that great. He could have used another 3-pound loss to stay in the game. As it was, he lost… and his fellow contestants voted him off and sent him home.
I know that “The Biggest Loser” is just a game… and these people are hoping to win up to $250,000 at the end of the season. But they are also risking their lives, in a sense, because these are morbidly obese people with serious health issues. Losing this weight could also mean the difference between life and death for them.
“But I’m not overweight,” you may be saying… “and I’m certainly not morbidly obese… what does this have to do with me?” We are no different from the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” when it comes to life decisions. We gamble every day with all sorts of choices that affect our relationship with God… choices that could have Eternal consequences.
Just like thinking we will eat cupcakes today and worry about the weight tomorrow, we decide we will “live for today,” and worry about our salvation later. We choose to “sow wild oats” and, in our mind, enjoy our life on our own terms, with little to no regard for the long-term effect on our lives, the lives of those around us… and our Eternal life.
The question of “The Biggest Loser” trainers applies to this situation, as well… “Was it worth it?” What are we thinking to turn our back on God for even one second? None of us are promised tomorrow… a second chance. Like the contestant on the show who gambled with his “bonus card” and lost, we risk losing something far more important… our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Let’s take a look at our lives today and see where we are “living outside the box” and excluding God in the process. Let’s ask God to show us where we need to make changes and better choices - and re-align ourselves with His plan. Let’s make sure we are “winners” where it really matters – not for $250,000 or the title of “The Biggest Loser” – but in the race to the cross, where we find the ultimate Prize… life everlasting with our Heavenly Father.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Job 5:11
He protects the sorrowful and lifts up those who have been disgraced.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you stop and think about Jesus’ ministry and teachings, the core of His message is found in Matthew 25:37-40, which says, “Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?" The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."
God protects the sorrowful and lifts up those who have been disgraced. How? By sending nurturing believers … caregivers … those who are filled with grace, love and mercy – and willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I hear so many people say, “Oh, when someone dies, I just don’t know what to do… I don’t know what to say to the family… it just makes me uncomfortable.” Others say, “I am no good at helping sick people,” or “I have my hands full with my own life … I have so much to do, and don’t have time to see about someone who is injured or help others with their chores and errands.” Others say, “I simply have no patience with people who whine and complain or are sick or depressed or can’t seem to get their life together.”
Can I tell you something? There is an epidemic of burned-out caregivers and nurturers in this country, because many are called, but few are stepping up to the plate. If you look around and listen, a whole lot of us have an arsenal of excuses ... and what it often boils down to is the fact that we don’t want to do anything that tests our patience, our comfort level, our “image,” or costs us a little bit of our time. And age is no excuse, either.
Not too long ago, a junior high student posted a prayer request on Facebook for a fellow classmate who was having serious surgery. An elementary school student spent many hours and days this summer with her friend during his ordeal with brain surgery. My friend Melissa is heading up The C.A.L.L. – a ministry to help foster children in our area – despite the fact that she is the busy mother of two very young children. Another friend, Ms. Peggy, who is an octogenarian, keeps a visitation calendar that would exhaust a 16-year-old. She cooks for others, visits, calls, sends cards and notes of encouragement, love and sympathy … and she prays for countless people on her list.
Let me tell you … caring for the hungry, the sick, the elderly, the injured, those in prison or down on their luck, the homeless and hopeless, and more… can be unpleasant, time-consuming, and personally draining. But consider this … when a woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, He felt the power of the Holy Spirit leave His body. The next time you help someone in the name of Jesus and feel drained afterward, maybe that is the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you! Maybe God is using you to protect the sorrowful and lift those who have been disgraced. Do you really want to risk missing this blessing?
There may very well come a day when you find yourself in need of nurture and care from others. How will you feel if nobody shows up to serve you? We have a lot of excuses – but none of them are good ones. You can say all you want that “I’m not very good at that,” or “I have no patience,” … or even “I don’t know what to do,” but I’m not buying it … and God most certainly isn’t! We weren’t called to only serve when it is pleasant or convenient or makes us look good. In fact, we are called to do just the opposite … to step outside our comfort zone and do what needs to be done, with grace, mercy, love and joy … and the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the words of comedian Bill Engvall, “Here’s your sign.” This is your wake-up call … your notice that it’s time to get up and get going and figure out how and where God is calling you to serve. Who are you supposed to lift from sorrow? Who are you to encourage to overcome disgrace? Who are you supposed to feed, clothe and assist? Are you praying for others and asking God to send you wherever He needs you to serve? How long has it been since you felt the power of the Holy Spirit flow from you to others – if ever? It’s time… now… today… to start serving in the name of the One who gave His very life for us. Where will you begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Acts 26:16
“Now stand up. I have appeared to you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me and what I will show you later."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you saw my house, you might not believe this, but I’m something of a stickler for neatness and cleanliness. And when it comes to Timothy, some would probably say I’m obsessive. If I know he is coming to visit, I vacuum the floors, disinfect his toys, change the linens in his crib, and make sure everything is in order. I consider it a great honor that my niece trusts us to care for her child, and I want to be sure I do everything necessary to ensure he is safe, loved, and nurtured when he is with us.
We all give attention to what is important to us. For some, it may be a prized vehicle. Maybe you wash your car several times a week and make sure it stays in tip-top running condition. Others may have a special collection… a sport they devote time and attention to… or even a gadget, such as an iPhone, laptop, or home theater. Whatever we value, we give care and attention.
Do we give this much care and attention to our relationship with God? Shouldn’t we? If God loves us so much that He chose us to be His servants, doesn’t this indicate how important we are to Him? Doesn’t this merit the care, attention, and nurturing of our relationship with Him? While you may feel you take pretty good care of your relationship with God, I assure you, none of us does enough. Ask Him to show you where you could step it up a level… then get busy doing so. We’ve been chosen to be Christ’s servants… it’s time to stand up and act like it!
©2010 Debbie Robus
