The Word of God puts a high premium on spiritual diligence, as well as on diligence in natural things. Solomon reminds us, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:1010Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)). Since man disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and acquired a sinful, fallen nature, his tendency has generally been towards laziness. When he fell, God gave him work to do, telling him that “in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Gen. 3:1919In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19)). In many respects this was a great mercy to man, for in working hard he was kept from many harmful pursuits, into which he might easily have fallen in idleness. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah serve as a good example of this, for their pleasant climate, abundance of food, and relaxed lifestyle all contributed to their awful wickedness. We might also add that similar conditions exist in some countries today, particularly in the West, where prosperity and abundance have contributed to immoral living and other types of wickedness.
Appreciation
There is another reason why God gives man work to do, and that is that he appreciates more that which costs him something. Things easily obtained are often taken for granted, and this generates a sense of entitlement rather than a feeling of thankfulness. Even in the Garden of Eden, man was not to be continually idle, for God placed man in that garden “to dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:1515And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2:15)). There was something to occupy his time, but there was no drudgery connected with it; it was not done “in the sweat of his face.” A sense of satisfaction always accompanied that which has cost us some effort.
It is the same in spiritual things. God has not placed everything so freely available to us that it can be obtained and enjoyed without effort. It is true that every believer is “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)), and work does not add to our blessings, but the enjoyment of those blessings depends on our walk and on our diligence in digging them out. God never intended believers to be lazy, either in natural or spiritual things!
Not Lazy
For this reason Paul exhorted those in Rome not to be “slothful in business” (Rom. 12:1111Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (Romans 12:11)), no doubt referring mainly to spiritual things. Later, in an individual way, Paul reminded Timothy, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). There is an order in these things. First of all, it is important to read the Word of God, and to read it regularly. We cannot emphasize this too highly. In these days of pressure and hurry, it is harder and harder to find time to do this, but we must set aside time to read and meditate upon the Word of God. Indeed, Paul follows up his exhortation to read by saying in verse 15, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them.” Nothing is more important.
But we must also remember that God has given other books for us to read, and even Paul in his day could ask Timothy to bring with him “the books” (2 Tim. 4:13) — books that evidently were not Scripture itself. So God has given us much good ministry and many good books that can be most helpful to us.
The Help of Others
Second, we are to remember exhortation. This brings in not only practical points from the Word of God, but also the helpful comments of others, who perhaps have more wisdom and experience than we. We are to be ready to listen to the suggestions of others who are able to help us in our Christian walk. The word here translated “exhortation” is a broad word in the original language, related to the word translated “comforter” in John’s Gospel and “advocate” in 1 John. It implies not only instruction, but also encouragement and comfort, all of which we need.
Good Doctrine
Finally, we are to pay attention to good doctrine, or teaching. Here the thought is mainly the taking in of good teaching, but in the next few verses in the same chapter, Paul tells Timothy to “neglect not the gift that is in thee,” and that in doing this, he will not only save himself, but also those that hear him. But we must first take in good teaching, and primarily for ourselves and our own personal blessing, before we can be used in blessing to others. To use our energy in reading and taking in good teaching for the purpose of giving it out to others is most dangerous for the believer. We can minister effectively only that which we have meditated upon and walked in.
Paul uses the expression, “Till I come,” no doubt intending at some point to see Timothy personally, but in the same epistle (1 Tim. 3:15), he says, “If I tarry long.” Paul leaves open the possibility that he might not come for some time. It is not reading too much into Scripture to transpose this into the Lord’s coming for us and to place the Lord into it instead of Paul. The Lord has left us here for a long time, as we count time, and yet we are to be faithful until He comes. It might seem long, but He will give the grace to continue to learn more of Himself, until He comes!
W. J. Prost