“Make every effort to present yourself approved by God, not ashamed, rightly spreading the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Few questions demand a quiet, deliberate concentration of our minds, and the greatest of these questions is certainly our relationship with God. What endeavor could possibly be more worthy than the pursuit of the glory of our Creator?
Frivolity is undesirable even in worldly matters. Those who are careless in their work, acting superficially and without any serious intention, are rarely able to achieve any lasting good. But treating God with contempt is not only undesirable; This is fatal. That disrespect that dishonors God by interfering with worship and discipleship is a sin of such deep impact that we probably have no idea how offensive it is to Him. When we see ourselves being careless, Solomon’s warning about “the sacrifice of fools” should arrest us: “Go with discretion when you go into the house of God; and draw near to hear, rather than to sacrifice to fools, for they do not know that they do evil” (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
If we want to do right toward God, we must have an honest intention. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to show yourself approved by God.” In this text, the KJV translators expressed the idea of diligence with the word “study,” which in their time meant “to endeavor, to make it one’s aim, to deliberately prepare oneself to do something” (OED). To “study” means to work hard at what we are doing, and when we are doing something that is to be offered to the same God who created us, a “study” effort is justified to say the least. In the first letter, Paul wrote to Timothy, “Meditate on these things; devote yourself completely to them, so that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15). In matters of the soul, little progress can be made if progress is not a serious goal.
As busy people, we see religion as an activity on our agenda, an element in our lifestyle. But to be real, religion must be more than just one of our interests. Our moments of meditation should do more than provide “balance” to our schedule, so that we can return to our self-centered business with more vigor. If Mammon is our true master, then every moment we spend “worshiping” God will be in vain.
“Those who make small talk lose their labor” (Richard Baxter).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
