Use it or Lose It

Zephaniah 1:12,13 I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. (ESV)

God is a God of love. There is absolutely no doubt about that – which is why He won’t let us rest on our laurels; why He won’t let us sit smugly in our comfort zone; why He calls us to step out in zeal to serve Him.

Complacency is one of the deadliest sins of all. It takes hold of our lives like a hidden cancer, immobilising us, robbing us of God’s plans for our lives.

I used to wonder why my dad pushed me so hard when I was young. He never settled for second best. He always made sure I was stretched. All these years later, I can see what he was doing. He was making sure that as his beloved son, I’d reach my full potential. Our Father in Heaven is no different.

Zephaniah 1:12,13 I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. (ESV)

The vivid picture that the original Hebrew text paints of complacency is one of milk curdling or wine going sour. That’s what complacency does. That smug sense of satisfaction leads us to a stagnant life, a spoiled life.

Let’s be very clear about this. Complacency has no place in the heart of any of God’s people, neither yours nor mine. God has given you a unique gift that the rest of us don’t have and He means to put that gift to work for His glory.

And what He’s saying here to us both, very clearly, is that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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Mona

You give me hope with God’s words… be blessed.

You give me hope with God’s words… be blessed.