“I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.”
—Proverbs 24:30-34
The principle of neglect is universal: if you stop paying attention to the lawn, the weeds are going to take control. If you don’t change the oil in your truck, eventually the engine will seize. If you don’t get the moss off the roof, the shingles are going to rot. Stop exercising, and your body is going to change.
You might be able to tell that I’m speaking from experience.
But I believe the Proverbs are much more than practical advice. O, they are that! But knowing the inevitable result of neglect in physical things, how much more in spiritual?
This is why Paul urged Timothy so enthusiastically:
“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:13-16).
Give attention to the Scriptures! Don’t neglect the gift you’ve been given! Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine! Continue in the things you ought to be doing as a faithful servant of the Lord.
Similarly, the author of Hebrews warned us all to give earnest heed to the salvation that has been made known to us through the preaching of the Gospel:
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…?” (Hebrews 2:1-3).
In spiritual matters, in things pertaining to the Word of Life, we cannot afford to be lazy. We mustn’t be asleep.
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:11-14).
Of course, this call to wakeful, attentive living does not preclude the diligence with which we must enter into His rest…
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