“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”
The idea of a nap is pretty appealing to me. Rarely, however, does it happen. Thankfully, Solomon is not teaching against a good, well-deserved nap. He’s talking about laziness. This truth can be taken even further and seen when we are being led by God, given an opportunity, and deciding it’s just not worth the effort. Is there something that God has called you to pursue that just seems like too much work? The problem with that sentence is that if God called us to it, the amount of work it takes should not be an issue. There are days that I would rather not take a meeting or work on a project. There are ministry opportunities that require travel and time out of town to places I have no interest in going. But when God gives an opportunity, I must confess, I get pretty excited about seeing what He’s up to. A check on this truth is that we must be sure it’s God speaking and leading—not others or even ourselves. There are times that rest and relaxation are exactly what God has called us to. Our culture can create a sense of guilt in those times that drives us to make poor choices when He is not leading. Learning to discern His voice and His call is a critical part of spiritual maturity. With all that in mind, it is very obvious from this chapter of Proverbs that God knows we have a limited amount of time to accomplish His calling in our life—and we don’t want to waste it. Today, when He speaks, get up and go. #BeTheEdge
“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” 1 Timothy 4:15 NIV
