Reading: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

When Winston Churchill entered the Houses of Parliament as Britain’s new prime minister on May 13, 1940, he delivered one of the most momentous and moving speeches of his entire political career.

By that time, the armies of Hitler’s Germany were spreading across Europe. Nation after nation was swept aside and it seemed as if Britain’s position was anything but secure. There was hushed silence as Churchill outlined his resolve to press forward in the war. At one point he said: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.” That rallying call emphasised the need for courageous commitment at a time of war. The country needed men and women who would work without restraint or reserve.

That principle is an important one in the Christian life. Carelessness tends to poverty and ruin. The slothful man accomplishes nothing. The careless person wastes his time, talents, energies, and ultimately his life doing little or nothing. The Christian must not follow his example. Service for Christ demands our all and our best. Caleb followed the Lord fully and David spoke of running in the way of the Lord’s commandments. There was nothing slothful or idle in their desires. Christ was the exact opposite of the sluggard. He pursued the work His Father had given Him to do until He could cry, “It is finished.” No one ever served as fervently and as faithfully as Christ. His spirit was always set on doing His Father’s will. Christ is our pattern for our Christian life; as He continued steadfastly, so must we. Let us pray today that whatever our hand finds to do, we will do it with all our might, not slothfully, but fervently serving the Lord.

“We must not seek rest or ease in a world where He whom we love had none.” Horatius Bonar

Taken from A Word in Season edited by Alan Cairns, 2010. Used by permission.