LIFE’S CLOCK

Lord Jesus answered them, “My Father is always working, and I too must work.” (John 5:17)

Lord Jesus explained to his people, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like this. Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day and sent them to work in the vineyard. He went out again to the market place at nine o’clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing, so he said to them, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.’ So they went.

Then at twelve o’clock and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. It was nearly five o’clock when he went to the market place and saw some other men still standing there. “Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?’ he asked them. ‘No one hired us,’ they answered. ‘Well, then, you also go and work in the vineyard,’ he told them. (Matt. 20:1-7)

 In the above passage, we read some men standing, doing nothing at the market when the owner says to them, “You too go to my vineyard, I will pay you a fair wage.” Even today in this busy world we come across several such individuals.

The Holy Bible through St. Paul speaks to us,

“Our brothers, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep away from all brothers who are living a lazy life and who do not follow the instructions that we gave them. You yourselves know very well that you should do just what we did. We were not lazy when we were with you. We did not accept anyone’s support without paying for it.

Instead we worked and toiled; we kept working day and night so as not to be an expense to any of you. We did this not because we have no right to demand our support; we did it to be an example for you to follow. While we were with you we used to say to you, “Whoever refuses to work is not allowed to eat. We say this because we hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives and do nothing except meddle in other people’s business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we command these people and warn them to lead orderly lives and work to earn their own living.” (2 Thess. 3: 5-12)

By not doing anything properly, some people keep merely interfering in all other’s work. Some without fulfilling duties and responsibilities towards their families interfere in community services. Such services can also be considered as part of their laziness.

“Lazy people are no better than dung; they are repulsive and like a stone submerged in dirt. (Sirach 22: 1-2)

One who touches it shakes his hand off to get rid of it.

The Bible again says, “A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive.”

Without desiring anything in return we ought to fulfill the responsibilities that God has commanded us in an orderly and disciplined way.  We also have to accept the pain and burden involved in it.

Some go out for services to deliberately stand aloof from the problems of their family. Such services, even though stated as service for God, the truth lies in the fact that Lord does not accept it. The distress and discontentment in such people undoubtedly proves the same.

St. Paul states that: “How can one who cannot take care of his own family take care of God’s community?”

Sometimes a lazy man can make others like a restless sea whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing in filth and muck.

Songs of Solomon sings, “I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid man. They were full of thorns, bushes and overgrown with weeds.” (Prov. 24:13)

If one individual in a family is lazy towards his/her duty, then that family can be compared to the above Word of God.

Lazy man finds an excuse for everything because, Book of Proverbs, again says, “Why doesn’t the lazy man ever get out of the house? What is he afraid of? Lions?  The lazy man turns over in bed. He gets no farther than a door swinging on its hinges. Some people are too lazy to put food into their own mouth. A lazy man will think he is more intelligent than seven men who can give good reasons for their opinions. ” (Prov. 26:14-18)

Let us give a thought to how active am I in my duty towards myself and my well-wishers.

Dear Readers, it is improper to waste time which is Lord’s gracious gift to us.

‘Not today…but tomorrow’ with this thought do not postpone all that you are supposed to do today.

The Bible says to us, “This is the hour to receive God’s favor, today is the day to be saved.”  (2 Cor. 6:2)

Let’s not hurt our Loving Father by wasting the blessed hours in speaking unwanted gossips, excuses or by doing useless deeds and being in wrong company of friends.

Lets us not forget the truth that those who have friendship with the world through gambling, bad books and films are only drifted apart from the blessings of God and moving towards the gate of the palace of destruction. We who are supposed to overcome these worldly vices by carrying the Word of God have instead gone astray. Some people sleep and spent most of their precious time. It is difficult to gain successful life without having a scheduled and disciplined life. 

When  our worldly path gets modeled on the path of God, then not only our heart but also our family, our community and the entire universe gains life in proper and becomes a heavenly bliss filled city of Jerusalem.

We ourselves produce the iron bars, bricks cement and sand of this everlasting Kingdom of God.

Let us reduce to ashes the workshop of satan by fulfillment of the Holy Spirit.

 Our lives and everything in it is a gift of God that contains full of  good responsibility to be active in this life.  If we desire to keep this gift then they have to be blessed everyday by the Giver. Lord never takes back the gifts and blessings that He has given to us but they will wear out if we fail to abide by the conditions.

There are many gifts which we forget in our life due to sheer laziness and ungratefulness. Lord takes them and keeps them safely!

Don’t we, as parents, take and keep our child’s belongings safely?

Later on, when they come in search of it and approach us with the sorrow and pain resulting in its loss, then we soon return it to them. The comfort and love that they derive at that moment is indescribable.

Dear One’s in Christ do not doubt! Let’s wind up the our laziness. The mind of a lazy man is the satan’s worship while the mind of a hard working individual is the workshop of God. Let’s choose the right one and start working hard to build it.

Let’s hurry and prove that we are the substantial candidate to receive His reward.

SO LET’S CLOCK!

The clock of life is wound but once

And no man has the power to tell

Just where the hands will stop.

At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed;

To lose one’s health is more;

To lose one’s soul is such a loss,

As no man can restore.

Present is our own.

Live, Love, Toil With a will

Place no faith in tomorrow

For the clock may then be still.