Tidings for Tuesday
Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11
What does being diligent in business have to do with being a good Christian? And why would there be a verse in the Bible about being a good business person when most of us are not in business? Just how relevant is this verse to the ordinary Christian. Actually, this verse is very relevant to every one of us in our service for the Lord. Let’s look at this verse to see how we can apply it to ourselves.
The word ‘slothful’ essentially means lazy and indifferent, and generally refers to somebody who is lacking in ambition and drive, somebody who doesn’t care whether anything worthwhile gets done. None of us wants to be like that, do we? The word that is translated ‘business’ in our text is actually the word for diligence, and can be applied to anything that we are involved in. So we are not to be slothful in our daily work, in our family chores and duties, in our Assembly activities, and in everything that we turn our hand to. Essentially it refers to having a good work ethic in everything. Such a person will have a good testimony before the unsaved, good relationships within the family, and good fellowship among the Lord’s people.
Our text also speaks of the need to be fervent in spirit. To put it another way, we need to be enthusiastic. Now, it is hard to be excited about everything all of the time, and the Lord doesn’t expect that of us. But He does expect us to really care about that which He gives us to do. For example, a Sunday School teacher who is fervent in spirit about her class with pour herself wholeheartedly into the preparation and prayers for the children in her care. Regardless of how unruly and indifferent the children are, the teacher will enthusiastically lead them into a better knowledge of the Scriptures and rejoice as they take an interest in the Gospel. The Lord Jesus was always fervent in spirit, totally dedicated to the purpose set before Him by His Father.
The last phrase of our text explains the reason why we should be diligent in all our activities and enthusiastic in every aspect of life: we are serving the Lord. If we were serving only ourselves, it might be OK to be lazy and accomplish just enough to get by. If we were serving only ourselves, it might be OK to approach things with very little energy, interest, or zeal. But surely our desire and goal is not to serve ourselves. Our greatest mission in life is to offer our greatest possible service to the One Who has saved us and Who preserves us. In thankful love and dedication to Him, we acknowledge His lordship and obey His Word.
Diligence in the things of God is a good testimony. Enthusiasm in the things of God is a good testimony. Diligent and enthusiastic service in the things of God earns a high commendation. -Jim MacIntosh