Regular Maintenance. | Morning Routine for September 20

Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. —Ecclesiastes 10:18 (ESV)

This simple proverb from Ecclesiastes pictures the deterioration of a house from lazy neglect. The roof is sinking in from sloth! The house leaks through indolence! 

How often do we notice something in our life—maybe something personal, maybe something at work, maybe something in our family—and we think, I should fix that? But then we put it off. We say, “I’ll take care of it when I get a chance, when I have the time.” And before you know it, the problem has become worse and still hasn’t been addressed. Remember that the roof may fall in from what begins as a small leak! ‘Self-discipline’ or whatever else we may call the virtue of regularly maintaining what we can control, is more than a buzz-word in the self-help section at the bookstore. The discipline of regularly taking care of what needs attention is a God-honoring quality, and we do well to increasingly make it a part of our life.

Consider an area of your life that God may be drawing your attention to—to give attention, to fix, to take care of. Maybe it’s something or someone over which/whom you have responsibility. Perhaps it is a tough conversation or an issue that will cost you something if you address it. Ask God for wisdom and then tackle the issue before the sagging roof falls in!