DEVOTIONAL: Lazy.

I am a lazy person. No, I’m not self-deprecating, it’s actually true. I had always claimed to be a lazy, or ‘relaxed’ person. One might even say, lackadaisical. Slothful. Apathetic.

I don’t know if I’ve always been this way, or if it’s something that is new, but here lately I realized something even worse. Not only am I lazy by the world’s standards, but I am also lazy by God’s standards. We’re not just talking hanging out in bed during a rainy day. We’re talking un-Christ like habit, Which is far worse than being conventionally lazy.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

– Matthew 25:26-30

So you can see from the scripture above why this lazy attitude disturbs me. I don’t want to be a wick, lazy, slothful, arrogant servant. I want to serve Christ in a manner that pleases him and helps others. A way that provides me with a life full of blessings and purpose.

I think perhaps the reason the master in the parable was so mad (the reason God is angry with us when we are lazy) is because we’re wasting his time and resources. And in wasting that time and resource, we are actually stunting our own growth and causing ourselves unhappiness. I guess you could equate it to giving your child the gift of a new computer, only for them to slam it down on the ground right in front of you, and then complain to you they need a new one.

If we waste what God gives us (talent, time, energy, etc) why should he trust us with anything else? If we aren’t managing what he already has given us, then it’s useless for him to add anything else to us – or to even let us keep what we already have. And if we destroy what he’s given us, or don’t use it at all, we end up the crying child who’s all upset because they smashed their own computer and now have none.

the truth is, we were created to WORK.

“But work is haaaaaarrdddddddd…..”

Yes, this is a very difficult concept for me to accept. Because, ya know, I’d rather sit on the couch all day long in a house by myself with cable and a gallon of ice cream, no dogs to walk, no dishes to wash, no dinner to prepare. But God CREATED me with the ability and the responsibility to do those things. (Proverbs 20:12, seeing and hearing is a gift from God, which would also suggest that all of our other body parts working is a gift from him, too.)

“Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry.” – Proverbs 19:15

And on top of that, we’re never fully satisfied unless we are working. In order to be a well-rounded, happy individual you must put your mind (and hands) to something.

Laziness is defined in Hebrew as “Idleness, slack, slothfulness, and indolence). Indolence is a persistent state of comfort or luxury. I bet after working a long day you’d like some indolence. WRONG!

My pastor was preaching recently about the call of Abram. God called Abram to leave his house and family – what was familiar to him. Why? Because if you stay connected to what you are familiar with, you tend to take shortcuts around problems, rather than relying on God to take you through the process necessary to refine and purify you.

Do you think Abraham became the father of many nations by kicking back with a root beer and watching Monday night football? NO! He went through a trying, intimate, personal, and completely uncomfortable process. God had to become the only one he could lean on, in order for him to advance to the next level of his life and blessings. As my pastor likes to say, “God has to take you through a process to get to the next level, because if he were to give you your future blessings now, he would blow your mind and you wouldn’t be able to handle it!”

The possibility of giving up or running away is stronger for a lazy person. So often we (myself included) are eager to get the process over with and we will take short cuts, give less than 100%, slack and complain while we are climbing that mountain toward the goal. But God’s word says:

“Work hard and become a leader; Be lazy and become a slave.” – Proverbs 12:24

The consequences of being lazy are poverty, unhappiness, stagnation, no growth, strained relationships, and eventually, death. Because laziness is wickedness and wickedness leads to death, eventually that’s the path laziness (and all sin) leads toward.

How do I know if I’m Lazy?

1. You love sleep. I loveeeeee sleep. Too much. In fact, I’ve begun using it as a coping mechanism in my young adult life. If a problem is stressful, I sleep. If I’m happy, I sleep. If I have a stomach ache, I sleep. If my stomach feels wonderful, I sleep. If I’m angry, I sleep. If I’m bored, I sleep. If I’m working, I sleep. I’ve literally had days where I’ve gotten 10 hours of good uninterrupted sleep, then took a nap. I could sleep right now if I tried. Sleep is a good thing, but we should never spend more time sleeping than we do living. The time we spend napping could be spent doing so many more important things!

“As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.” – Proverbs 26:14

“If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!” – Proverbs 20:13

“A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” – Proverbs 10:5

“But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit, scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” – Proverbs 6:9-11

How many times have you whispered “Five more minutes……”? We’ve got to be on our P’s and Q’s, if we’re going to work in God’s Kingdom. We can sleep when we’re dead!

2. You make excuses. This would be the modern day equivalent of “I can’t get a job without a car, but I can’t get a car without a job, so I guess I’m just stuck on the couch! …oh look! A Seinfeld marathon…”

“The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!'” – Proverbs 26:13

“The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!'” – Proverbs 22:13

3. You don’t value things as you should. You know those people, the ones who don’t care if their rooms are clean, throw their clothes around, squander their money on stupid things? Yup. That’s a symptom of laziness. Have you ever noticed how a lazy person NEVER seems to have any money of their own?

“A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.” – Proverbs 18:9

“Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.” – Proverbs 10:4

4. You expect others to do your work.

“Lazy people take food in their hand, but don’t even lift it to their mouth.” – Proverbs 26:15

“Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.” – Proverbs 12:27

5. You have dreams/desires but no drive.

“Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.” – Proverbs 21:25

“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.” – Proverbs 12:11

“Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” – Proverbs 13:4

“Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!” – Proverbs 14:23

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” – Proverbs 6:6-8

6. You’re self-centered and seek material gratification. Laziness often goes hand in hand with arrogance and greed. Do you often find yourself lusting after indulgencies and pleasures? How often do you think about others above yourself? Is window shopping a blood sport for you? Are you more concerned with things than people?

“Those who love pleasure will become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.” – Proverbs 21:17

“Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.” – Proverbs 25:16

7. You let others down. A huge reason to ditch laziness, is because you’re hurting those that depend on you. In the midst of my napping-potato-chip-eating luxe fest, I’m letting my responsibilities go and disappointing Jesus, and my family. A perfect example, in Mark chapter 14, Jesus asked the disciples to stay awake and watch his back while he prayed in the garden. They were tired, yes, but couldn’t they have just kept their eyes open for an hour?? To fulfill the wishes of Jesus Christ?? Seriously!! I do not want to have that fumble on my conscience…

“Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.” – Proverbs 10:26

“Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” – Mark 14:37

See, this laziness problem goes beyond Saturdays of iced tea on the porch. Laziness, revealed by God’s wisdom, is a far greater problem than I ever thought.

“A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway.” – Proverbs 15:19

Bottom line is, God formulated a plan for us to have success long ago, work = equals profit and blessings, fulfillment, and laziness = poverty and unhappiness. Until you begin to work hard, apply yourself and your talents, you will never experience the fullness of what God created you to be, and the blessings that lie therein.

God despises laziness simply because it holds his people back from becoming all that we are destined to be. Because it stagnates us. It stops us from accomplishing what he created us to do. It’s sinful and just downright bad for us. Jesus came so we could live life abundantly, not from a recliner, not from a bed, not confined to a couch, but with happiness and purpose and a thirst for him. Do you ever feel like your life just NEVER works out? Have you considered that it’s because you aren’t putting the work into it? Into your relationships, your walk with Christ, your job…? If you give him 100% in everything you do, he will return that 100% back to you in every area of your life.

“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

SPOTLIGHT: Forgiven Women’s Tee

In John 8:1-11, we read a story about a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Like, caught while she was in the middle of sinning. Crazy, right?

And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery;

and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, the very act.

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such a woman should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”
This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him.

And worse than being caught in the middle of her sin, which I’m sure she was embarrassed by, they threw her out into the middle of the Temple (filled with a huge crowd of people) and shoved her in front of Jesus.

That’s right. Jesus. The Savior of the world.

He was later going to die for the sin she just committed, and they threw her in front of Him! How mortifying. They told Jesus that she was an adulterer, and reminded Jesus of the law. A woman who has committed adultery is automatically required to be punished by death.

But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.
So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up himself and said unto them,
“He that is without sin among you, let Him cast the first stone.”
And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

I wonder what Jesus wrote on the ground those two times? Was he taking an account of her sin? …or theirs?

She was left standing in front of the only person in the universe that could accuse her. Blameless, righteous, and holy in every way possible, Jesus could have easily stoned her for her crime.

When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her,
“Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?”

“No one, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

He let her go. He forgave her.

From the moment she was put before him, Christ was the only rational and reliable ally. They smacked judgments on her before she could even defend herself. They didn’t know the circumstances. They assumed she was foul and gross, they didn’t care about her or know her. They just wanted to catch Jesus in a bind. To throw him off His game so they could have a reason to sentence Him to death.

In the same way, the minute you wake up, before you even arrive at school or work, you know that people are judging you and labeling you without truly knowing who you are. You know that when you walk through the door, people are instantly throwing silent labels at you, Velcro signs being thrown at your chest that stick to you all day long.

Whore…Stupid…Ugly…Gross. She’s probably got an STD, they say. He’s probably a cutter. Pathetic. Loser. She’s slept with everyone. He’s going to be a drunk like his dad. She only wears that low-cut shirt to get attention from the boss.

It goes on and on. In our destructive chaos we label ourselves and others. And those words stick. They’re written on us our whole lives.

And in the midst of our actual sins, and our accusatory sins, we’re shoved in front of a holy man who is writing in the sand.

I imagine that he wiped the words that were written and said about this woman away. I imagine those lies and regrettable truths were sent into the air as dust particles. I imagine my Lord, writing on that clean slate “FORGIVEN.”

That is what this shirt is about.

These are words that have been said about her (and you) either to your face or behind your back at one point or another. These are the words that have become your life because of destruction and sin. Loneliness has gotten us all, we’ve all been scared, we’ve all felt used or hurt. We’ve all sinned.

But those words have been wiped away, and, written in the blood of Christ is the proof that we are “FORGIVEN”.

You can start over. Jesus will forgive you of every sin, and silence every person who tries to accuse you, label you, or bring you down. The blood of Christ is pure and holy, capable of washing away any and all manner of sin. Sometimes the sins are not sexual, but bad just the same. There is nothing you can do that Christ cannot forgive.

 

If Christ has wiped away your mistakes, this is a great shirt to wear around and show others. It’ll give you a chance to share your story and help other women/men who may be going through the same thing.

If you haven’t received Christ’s forgiveness, I encourage you to talk to Him today. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Heck, the woman caught in adultery only said three words to Him.

 

This shirt is available at http://www.shopnewwine.com

Also, if you’d like to talk about salvation or forgiveness, or anything at all, just email shopnewwine@live.com 🙂

DEVOTIONAL | It’s a Love Story, Baby Just Say Yes…

Giant ball gowns, princes and diamond rings. These are a few of a girl’s favorite things.

We’ve all been there. You want the romance, the boy, the wedding, the relationship everyone envies. You want to be the girl the guy falls head over heels for, the one who is adored, the one who is chosen fairest in all the land. You fantasize about celebrities whisking you away, or the boy you like at your school becoming obsessed with you, like you’re obsessed with him. You crave romance, you long to be loved, and you desperately want to be wanted.

I’ve been there, and most of the time I still want the fairy tale, the love story, to belong to a man and be the center of his universe.

Here’s the catch.

Love stories are great, but at some point we’ve got to determine if it’s romance we are after, or fulfillment. Do you want a boy to like you for the right reasons? Do you want to be in a relationship so badly because you think it’s the only thing that will make you happy?

As women, we’re designed to be help-mates to men (Genesis 2:18), and we are made from man (Genesis 2:23), so it’s natural that us girls crave a relationship with a man, and want to share our lives with someone perfect for us.

But when a girl is insecure, lonely, or has low self-esteem, she can take all of her loneliness and pour it into a guy, hoping to fill the void. She wants something she can see and touch, someone to tell her she’s worth living for and worth caring about. As girls, we’re conditioned from birth to believe we need a knight in shining amour, that we’re supposed to wait in a tower while prince so-and-so comes to slay the dragon and fix everything.

And then we grow up. We’ve grown into clueless, defenseless, alone, scared little girls in teenager form. Still waiting for a man to give us a purpose.

Are you still locked in your tower, princess? Searching for meaning and love from a prince who is taking his sweet time showing up?

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. – Psalm 146:3

As a generation of young girls we are forgetting who our true rescuer is, our one true prince, our one true love. His name is Jesus.

He is the one who died for us, adores us, and wants to commit to us forever and ever. He wants to slay our dragons, rescue us from our towers, and give us life, love and the freedom to be ourselves.

Newsflash: You don’t need a guy to make you feel special. You already are. God designed you uniquely, individually, one of a kind, precious, beautiful and independent.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! – Psalm 139:17 (NLT)

God is thinking wonderful things about you, personally. He can’t wait to hang out with you, to hear you talk to him, and to answer you. Isn’t it better to have a God that loves you and wants to be around you always, than a guy who won’t text you back half the time?

I can’t even express in words how good it feels to know that I’m loved. Me. Of all the people on the Earth, someone loves me. I didn’t really grow up with a dad, so I didn’t have a man around to teach me how a woman is loved, how she’s supposed to be treated, and what a good man is supposed to be. But a while after I got saved, I finally started to realize that God’s love (John 3:16) isn’t just a tagline Christians use to make you get saved. It’s real. It’s an intense, strong, passionate love that God has for us. It’s a constant urgency God has to be there for us. And the best part is God doesn’t expect gifts, or make unrealistic demands in exchange. He just gives it away for free.

If you’ve ever felt unloved, just remember that when Jesus Christ was on the cross dying for the sins of the world, he had you in mind. And when he goes before God’s throne in Heaven, and God is ready to judge the world of their sins, Jesus walks up to the throne and says your name. He defends you, and uses his own blood to cover your mistakes (Revelation 3:5).

Our relationship with Jesus is the most amazing love story we can ever hope to have. It’s got love, laughter, tears, and trials.

God will take you on the most adventurous journey you’ll ever have if you begin to trust in him instead of princes.

Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. – Psalm 62:8

I encourage you to pour your heart out to the one who created it. When you say “Yes” to God, he will accept you as you are, and then your real love story can begin.