Fifty Shades of Unbelief: Laziness

The fifty in the title is a bit of an exaggeration (or is it?), but it recently dawned on me how easy it can be to act in unbelief without realizing it – especially if there’s no one to point it out to you.

Fortunately, repentance and reaffirmation of faith are effective treatments for all varieties of disbelief.

Anyway, I was at a gathering recently, and someone asked, “Would you still eat, sleep, and spend time the way you do now if you knew you were promised the position of president of the United States of America in a short time?”

The obvious answer was “no”; you’d want to buckle up and prepare yourself however you could for the enormous responsibility ahead.

Then it struck me: this was just a painted scenario with a minimal likelihood of happening, however, there are more concrete promises and responsibilities that God has spoken to us. For example, it could be that you’ve seen what God intends to achieve with your abilities, or He might have given you a word that details your life purpose.

Why, then, do we sometimes languish in laziness?

Maybe it is that you don’t fully understand what God has called you to. For example, when we become children of God, He calls us to sonship. And this “sonship” is more than just a name; it’s a responsibility over portions of His business – Kingdom business. But it’s possible not to realize this and just continue to live life carelessly.

Or it could also be that you don’t actually believe what God has said concerning you. It’s crucial to know the difference between mental assent and belief.

Mental assent says, “I agree with what God has said. He’s God, right? He can’t be wrong.” But belief backs up mental assent with works. It backs up mental assent with diligence in playing your part to ensure what God has said comes to pass.

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

(Proverbs 12:27, NLT)

Do you believe what God has spoken about you?  Is it evident in how you spend your time? Do you live like someone who understands the calling God has over them?

God has given you everything you need to become who He has called you to be. Give no place for unbelief in the form of laziness.

Rise up and cook!

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Read next:

Fifty Shades of Unbelief: Fear