Fervent in Spirit by C. H. Bliss

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 23, 1871

Fervent in Spirit.

By C. H. Bliss

“NOT slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” Rom. 12:11.

The idea as expressed in the original Greek, in the latter part of the verse, is, “fervent in spirit in serving the Lord.”

But few men in this age of the world, violate to any great extent the first part of this admonition of the apostle.

In accumulating wealth men will labor hard from daylight until dark; not a moment is lost. If it is very hot or cold, it matters not: the work must go on. If it rains, it is all the same: There is some wood to chop, corn to husk, or some other work which can be done under shelter. Thus men labor six days out of seven, and until the very hour which marks the commencement of the Sabbath.

They have not been “slothful in business;” will they now be “fervent in spirit in serving the Lord”? Let us see. The holy Sabbath has come. Worldly cares are laid aside; and the family are called around the altar to offer up their evening devotion. The father attempts to pray; but just having laid aside his worldly business and being weary, his prayer is dull and dry. He retires to rest sleepy and tired, and the next morning the church bell at eight or nine, as it may be, calls him forth from his downy bed. Soon the hour for worship arrives; and the people of the Lord come together, to worship the most high God. He is perhaps a little late, yet in time to hear the discourse; but the minister has spoken but a short time when this poor brother finds himself growing sleepy. He tries to arouse himself; but all in vain; for he is soon off in the land of dreams, and perhaps imagines himself out in the field to work, plowing corn, hoeing potatoes, or something of the kind; when suddenly something awakens him, and he finds to his mortification that he has really been asleep in meeting. He feels ashamed of it, yet has so little control over himself that he is again soon asleep. Soon class-meeting time comes and he is called upon to speak; but he has nothing to say.

The hour of worship closes and he returns home. It is perhaps needless to remark that after dinner is over he spends the remainder of the day sleeping. But how is it when the first day of labor comes? He is up bright and early, and labors hard from early morn till late at night. No time to sleep now, not a moment is to be lost. How selfish! The Lord could in justice claim our time during the whole seven days, yet in kindness to us he gives us six, only reserving one to himself, and yet men steal that one. May the Lord pity.

Let us each resolve that in the future we will so labor during the week that when the time for the worship of the Lord comes, we may be “fervent in spirit in serving the Lord.” C. H. BLISS.