Written by Van Yandell
Proverbs13: 4-5 “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing. But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. A righteous man hates lying, but a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
Sunday morning my first stop was the coffee pot. It is set to come on at six a.m. and it was a little after that, but no coffee. It took about one second to realize our power was off.
A storm had moved through the area on Saturday night and took a few trees down on some power lines. I called the power company and was told power would be restored by 2:45 that day.
I have an old generator, I think it’s a pre-war model and I’m not sure which war. I must admit to being a little delinquent in the servicing of some items. It is very easy to forget one has such things as a generator when it’s only needed every couple of years.
On the first pull of the rope it fired but refused to run. It was firing but apparently the fueling system was clogged. Removing the air intake, I sprayed a little starting fluid into the carburetor and pulled again. It started but didn’t run as hoped. It did run long enough to perk a pot of coffee and that was what was important.
We went on to church as was our normal routine. When we returned about one-ish the power was on and all was well, except for the generator. Today (Tuesday) I removed the carburetor, knowing full well most of the small engine trouble I’ve had in life was due to a faulty carburetor.
Removing the sediment bowl, I found it was full of rust particles and black sludge. The float was also heavy laden with trash and that it functioned at all, is miraculous.
I blew it out with compressed air, put it back together and re-attached it to the generator. It started right up and ran for several minutes and sounded like new. I shut it off, disconnected the fuel line and ran the carburetor dry for storage.
Sludge is found as a result of industrial waste, oxidation/rust, impurities in liquids, trash in fuel and numerous other sources.
At times we Christians let emotional sludge build up in us. Also, seeds of doubt create sludge in a Christian life as well as apathy, indifference and laziness.
Our lives can very easily become clogged with the sludge of hatred, envy, prejudice, jealously, spite and resentment. Addictions such as gambling, drugs (illegal, over the counter, and prescription), pornography, alcohol and gluttony, can control and destroy us and our connection to Christ.
Ecclesiastes 3: 6 “A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.” As with my carburetor, these build-ups of muck in our lives isn’t noticed until it becomes dangerous and obvious to everyone but us.
Our greatest mandate of our Lord Jesus is to “Preach this Gospel to all nations,.” The lazy Christian is not likely to be a soul winner. Teaching others that Christ Jesus was crucified (shed His blood) for the remission of sin and was resurrected apparently is not a priority of many.
So, what does it take to motivate the declining Christian to actually follow the instructions of our Glorious Savior?
Romans 12: 11 “Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart.” Can we recall the excitement of when we were new Christians? Of course, it is human nature to become lethargic in life’s endeavors. But are there new challenges, new actions and new projects, new people to encounter with the Gospel?
A great experience and actually the one that motivated me most was my first overseas mission trip. Twenty-four men went on that mission to Mombasa, Kenya. We walked many miles through the jungles and bush country to the villages.
The experience of sitting with villagers and with an interpreter share with them the love of Jesus and the plan of salvation still creates an excitement within me. At times wishing that experience could be had all over again, great memories return.
Organizing or participating in mission projects in a local church can also initiate a new level of excitement. One does not have to go to the other side of the planet to experience a renewed excitement for the Gospel. To organize a project to reach the unchurched and unaware is simple.
There’s no doubt the most ineffective Christians are those that simply fill a seat on Sunday morning. Whatever the reason, participation in any endeavor is the key to enthusiasm.
I’ve never understood how someone could become excited about anything if they do not participate. To sit on the sidelines and watch someone else have all the fun and reap all the blessings must be very depressing. It certainly would be to me.
Organizing a project simply requires: name it, enlist participants, set a time and date, gather necessary items and go! I’ve found people are willing to help but are not inclined to initiate such.
Once, in a church, I saw a need for a Thanksgiving dinner project. When Margie got hooked on the idea, it came together. The church pastor was engaged and Thanksgiving day, we had sixty-seven people from the church there helping. We have noticed several churches are now having such projects and those reached must be in the thousands. But, food for the soul should be provided as well as food for the body.
On what might be considered a good note, but at the same time, a down note, many churches now have thrift stores, food pantries and clothing rooms. Sadly, people often times come into those and never hear the Gospel. The purpose of the thrift stores may be to raise money for mission projects. While the opportunity to share the Gospel is immediate, the gospel may not be shared. We should open our eyes and see the obvious. Mission opportunities are all around us.
We recently learned of a church opening a car repair ministry for those in need. The concept of such a project is to help people but also to place Christians into the proximity of the unchurched. We have long thought we must go to the unchurched, but in some cases it works very well to have them come to us. Just do not forget it’s about Jesus.
To share the Gospel is an imperative we cannot ignore. The sludge is not in the pipes or carburetors but in hearts and minds. It’s time to wake up and realize the burden of not knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is placing on this world.
The laws and rules of human behavior were introduced to mankind in the Word of our Creator. To be civil, not kill each other, steal from each other and not be hostile, are from the Bible.
Mankind is by nature, not civil! We are of the flesh. Our imperfect status goes all the way back to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Without the teachings of God we are destined to a state of chaos.
The question at this point is: who is to blame? We are! The self-contained, encapsulated church that is not reaching out to a lost and dying world is to blame. Sludge once again comes to mind.
Our hearts, minds and souls are in constant turmoil. The competition between good and evil are constantly raging within us. The flesh can easily be overcome with the materialistic desires with which we are bombarded every day of our lives.
1 Corinthians 15: 58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
When our world turns into a complete state of crime and chaos, maybe we should look in the mirror! The price for neglect is too high to have to pay.