colossians 3:23

This morning in worship we focused on the deadly distraction of laziness. 


I went into service with some expectations set in my mind of the key points that would probably be made, but I was surprised to find that I learned a lot more than I thought I would. I learned to think of "laziness" in a slightly different way that left me wondering why I never defined it this way before?


We talked about how laziness isn't the absence of being busy, it isn't defined necessarily by not doing anything, but rather it is defined by not doing the right things. In other words, it is knowing what you should do, but not doing it anyway... because you're being lazy: emotionally, physically, psychologically. 


For example, it is saying "I don't have time to go to church and worship The Lord because..." No, you do have time, you're just not making it a priority, you're being lazy. It is saying (as I do way too often), "I was just too tired/busy to work-out today because..." Again, no, you didn't work out because you didn't make it a priority, you were being lazy. 


So, while I went into service thinking and believing that I am not a lazy person at all, I left realizing that there are points every single day when I am indeed being lazy. When I am taking the easy route instead of the right route- the route Jesus would have gone himself. 


On the way home I started making a mental list of times when I've been lazy recently and praying that the next time I start to act out in one of these areas I will be reminded of today's message. Here are the 5 that I decided to write down so that I will remember to focus on these areas until "overcoming lazy" here becomes a habit:


1. Giving in to Jackson's requests (for extra treats, to stay up past bed time, to get his way right this minute) in order to have peace and quiet... when in fact I know that this, over time, will only teach him be impatient, demanding and self-centered. 


2. Skipping working out because I'm tired or just "not in the mood" when I know that I can't be the best me if I'm not the healthiest me... and this only comes with hard, consistent work. 


3. "Relaxing" by spending too much time online when I know I should allow myself that treat but quickly move on to something more worthwhile. 


4. Giving Dan my "leftovers" at the end of a hard day... when in my heart I know our relationship is actually the most important gift me can give our children. 


5. Letting the deep connection I have with The Lord weaken as the week progresses when I know that I need to have an ongoing conversation with Him that includes digging into His word on a daily basis. 


Lord, please give me the strength to remember how you yourself would choose to act in the day to day choices that I'm faced with every hour so that I can continue to love abundantly, grow continuously and grow forever closer to you.