The stories that tell of the choosing of Jesus’ disciples indicate that those whom Jesus chose were not lazy people. They were not men lying idle at home while their mates worked hard. If it were today, then they weren’t men who blamed their financial status on the government and sat at home playing video games or spending too much time on social media apps. They weren’t men who, instead of being serious with their books, were involved in numerous things that wouldn’t benefit body nor soul, and then blame poor results on witches in their village or their father’s second wife. Jesus chose people that were found at their duty posts, not those fooling around with indecent girls or doing immoral things all about. Peter and Andrew were trying to catch fish while James and John were mending their nets. Even though tax collectors were greatly disliked in those days, Matthew was still found at his duty post! The disciples were responsible men in whatever they were doing. They were faithful in little matters, therefore, they could be entrusted with more sensitive matters.

This should minister to us. Whatever our hands find to do, let us do it well. As disciples of Jesus, we cannot afford to be lazy. A lazy Christian is a contradiction of terms. The new testament shows us that neither Christ nor his disciples were lazy, therefore, as followers of Christ, we shouldn’t be lazy. Whatever we do, whether in academics, or business, or service to God and man, we should do so diligently and to the glory of God. Remember that “whosoever claims to live in Him must walk as He did” (1 John 2:6). Imagine Jesus being a lazy employee who often brings sorrow to his employer instead of joy, or imagine Jesus as a lazy student always sleeping and not attending lectures, playing games and investing his time in useless things that would not yield anything meaningful, and afterwards blaming the lecturers for poor teaching methods after getting woeful results? Can you imagine that kind of Jesus? If not, then can you imagine that kind of Christian? I can’t!

Even in spiritual things, you are not permitted to be an idler. Jesus said that “ Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” If you have a lazy attitude towards God, and you don’t hunger and thirst for continuous knowledge of God nor search the scriptures and take time to pray, you will not be filled with something concrete. You won’t cease being a Christian, but then you won’t grow as you ought to. And the devil is very okay with you remaining a child, because you won’t know the right ways to combat him which makes it easy for him to turn you back into the world.

Please do not be lazy. God cannot be mocked: a man reaps what he sows. Even the old testament legends were not lazy, how much more should we be seriously diligent in these last days! Old testament legends that became weary of hard work and decided to “relax” have unpleasant stories to tell. David, when he stayed at home while kings were at war, received his reward instantly. His eyes saw what they shouldn’t have seen and his body did what it shouldn’t have done if he were in the battle field too. That singular resting period led to adultery and unjust murder. That was what idleness and unnecessary wiling away of time cost someone who was described as a man after God’s own heart. Samson’s downfall can also be associated to idleness. Any foreign place he visited, he loved ‘relaxing’ with the foreign women. It got him into trouble and he eventually married a foreigner. We all know what happened to him in the end.

Nowadays, the devil attacks our minds when we are less busy. We should beware of him in our free periods. Ensure you are up to something every time, hard work doesn’t kill. if you need to relax, make sure you listen to God-inspired songs, messages or see Godly movies. Ephesians 5: 15 – 16 says “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”(KJV). Decide to be wise, you need to use the activities you spend your time on to glorify God. 24 hours of a day is what everyone gets, no one gets more or less. Whatever we achieve depends on how diligent we are in utilizing tour time. The NIV version of that verse says ‘making the most of every opportunity’. Amplified version reads ‘making the every most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.’

The Bible says that if any man lacks wisdom to do something, he should ask God who generously gives to all and it will be given to him (James 1:5). Being diligent and making effective use of the time doesn’t come easily. The world is filled with so many things that waste one’s time and tempt us to be unnecessarily idle, but if we ask God to help us make judicious use of our time and strengthen us to be diligent in all we do, He will help us.
Shalom!

Word!!!