Articles
Time to Get Moving!
I find it hard to be motivated after the holiday season. I wish the time with family and friends could continue. It is hard to return to "real life." Getting back to work is difficult. When you see the work piled on your desk, you wonder if the vacation was worth it. Winter is cloudy, rainy, and daylight short. I feel like an old bear wanting to hibernate until spring! I would rather sit by the fire and read a book. I feel sluggish and have difficulty getting going again. How about you?
Everyone needs rest. After the apostles preached to the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus called them to rest (Mark 6:30-31 ESV). Jesus recognized the need for rest but also knew the normal state of life is to work. That is why he called the apostles to "rest a while." It is dangerous to relax for too long. When we are sluggish (lazy), we let things go and deteriorate. We decay spiritually as well as physically. The author of Hebrews warned us twice against sluggishness (Heb. 5:11; 6:11 ESV).
God expects us to work and produce fruit for the kingdom. Consider the warning given in Hebrews. "For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” (Heb. 6:7-8 ESV) The thrust of this warning is that God has blessed us in Christ with grace and mercy. If we fail to produce fruit for God after receiving such blessings, we are worthless, cursed, and to be burned.
We may feel entitled to rest on past accomplishments for God. The author of Hebrews recognizes we may feel this way, saying, “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” (Heb. 6:10 ESV) God recognizes our past efforts. The author teaches us that we must continue to work until we reach God's Sabbath rest. "And we desire each of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and patience.” (Heb. 6:11-12 ESV)
We must begin our work anew. We must imitate the faithful Christians of the past. We must be zealous for our Lord Christ and his great mission of saving people from God's wrath. We must stir one another up for love and good works. Remember the words of Jesus, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2:10-11 ESV)
Time to get moving!
