Serving with Slackness and Sheathed Swords.

Scripture: Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. Jeremiah 48:10

Observation: God ordered some people to bring judgment on the wicked nation of Moab. We are not sure who he appointed for the task, but we know that judging the Moabites was going to be tough work. Yet it was God’s work and had to be done. In verse 10, God is threatening a curse on anyone who was slack in doing this work, who failed to unsheathe their sword and get to God’s work.

Application: I am so disturbed by the slackness I see in some of those who do the work of the Lord full-time. Those for whom ministry is the refuge of the lazy—where they can operate with minimal accountability. They deflect questions of work ethic by retreating behind the walls of God’s grace, and Jesus’ love—forgetting that it is the grace of God that empowers us to do the work. They have never learned that this work of the Lord, is hard work. You have to pull out your sword. The late night phone call. The early morning meetings. Praying hard. Learning hard. Returning the phone calls. This work of the Lord is important and deserves more than our slackness and sheathed swords. Of course, the “cursing” of the Lord is apparent—their ministries suffer and die, like untended gardens. No, God wants his appointed servants to pull out their swords, to attack ministry with resolve and determination.

Prayer: God, forgive me for the slackness in my ministry. I want to have a healthy and balanced life. But sometimes “balance” is an excuse to avoid the sword work. I need you to show me what a healthy work ethic looks like, how I can do your work without slackness. Show me this, and give me strength to do this. And Lord, help me figure out how to share this with others in a way that is not judgmental or angry.