Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Idle Hands

“Mordecai understood that it is not failure that brings despair, but unfaithfulness and idleness.” ~Dorothy Patterson, editor of Women’s Devotional Bible Devotion: Service Through Providence, Esther 3:13-4:17

Recently at the clinic where I work the allergy doctor gave a talk on food allergies. It was interesting hearing him mention the fact that he thought that food was getting a bad rap. Food was being blamed for many allergies when the truth of the matter is, a lot of what people think is a “food allergy” is simply food intolerance.

In the spiritual or emotional world failure often gets the “bad rap.” We blame everything on our failures. “Woe to me, it’s because of my failures that I have despair, anger, low self-esteem and a negative attitude. Pity me, pity me, pity me!”

Wrong attitude, what we fail at is seeing that its things such as unfaithfulness, idleness and listening to Satan instead of hearing God that brings it on. Mordecai didn’t give himself time to fail he had a job to do and he did it. Esther was just as quick to do what she had to do to save the people. There wasn’t time for idle hands.

We ourselves need to be so quick to act upon things that are just not right. Sitting around being idle wasn’t going to save the Jews. Waiting for someone else to do it wasn’t going to work. Leaning on someone else’s faith to take charge would have been a dead-end street for this group of people.

We need to stop giving failure the bad rap and take responsibility for our own actions or the lack there of. We have jobs to do for God that are just as vital as what Mordecai and Esther managed to accomplish. Such as the saving of billions of people who are being lined up for slaughter for the sins they are allowing to rule in their lives. Present company not exempted.

Failure happens but idleness is a choice. As Michael Youssef puts it, “we need to get off our blessed assurance and get busy.” We can’t let our fear of failures drive us to idleness and unfaithfulness. God should never get the short end of the stick because we aren’t doing what He has equipped us to do. Believe it or not we can make a difference for the kingdom by the way we live, the witness we carry, and the light we shine for Jesus. Now is not the time for idle hands!


© 2009 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

4 comments:

Esthermay Bentley-Goossen said...

The very word failure is a very human idea. You're right! We need to get over ourselves and see God in the workings of our lives whether our humaness' sees it as bad or good. It's all part of God's plan if we are faithful to His Will and His Word.
Great Thoughts!
~es.

Denise said...

Awesome post.

Miriam Pauline said...

"Failure happens but idleness is a choice."
Absolutely! This was an awesome post. A very needed wake-up call. Bless you Karen.

Patricia said...

Karen
Thank you for participating. What a way to focus on the important part of the quote. Mordecai's despair was not due to failure because he didn't sit back and wait to see what would happen. His despair was at the possibility of what evil could if he sat by idly. His refusal to wallow in despair led to Esther's brave choices and saved a nation. Great post!!