The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
The slothful person invents a danger, a lion in the road or in the streets, as an excuse to avoid acting and to excuse himself from duty. Small obstructions are magnified into mountains and great barriers to excuse failing to put the gospel into practice in work. Hearing that others may point out such lions in the way must not deter from carrying out a duty God has given.
This excuse comes from being superficial, selfish and faithless, without experimental knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and without appreciating the gospel enough to practice it in every line of work. It comes from unbelief that holds one back from good. It reveals a heart that needs converting and is not in harmony with God's will and way, that sees something to oppose everywhere, turns to criticizing others, presses objections, hinders the work, brings discouragement, and produces needless difficulties from unbelief.
The lions in the way are reports of perplexities and difficulties raised by brethren when God points out a work to be done, including warnings from others that such dangers lie ahead. Such reports are no reason to stop, even when the end cannot be seen from the beginning. When God has given a duty and calls to a work, the duty is to refuse to be deterred, fail, or be discouraged, but to move forward in His name with full faith, declaring that the Lord wants the work done, acting one's part, and trusting God to guide and support.
The cure is to see one's own helplessness, give up one's own will and way for God's will and way, and hang the helpless soul upon Jesus Christ to obtain a new heart and victory.
The slothful person invents a danger, a lion in the road or in the streets, as an excuse to avoid acting and to excuse himself from duty. Small obstructions are magnified into mountains and great barriers to excuse failing to put the gospel into practice in work. Hearing that others may point out such lions in the way must not deter from carrying out a duty God has given.
This excuse comes from being superficial, selfish and faithless, without experimental knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and without appreciating the gospel enough to practice it in every line of work. It comes from unbelief that holds one back from good. It reveals a heart that needs converting and is not in harmony with God's will and way, that sees something to oppose everywhere, turns to criticizing others, presses objections, hinders the work, brings discouragement, and produces needless difficulties from unbelief.
The lions in the way are reports of perplexities and difficulties raised by brethren when God points out a work to be done, including warnings from others that such dangers lie ahead. Such reports are no reason to stop, even when the end cannot be seen from the beginning. When God has given a duty and calls to a work, the duty is to refuse to be deterred, fail, or be discouraged, but to move forward in His name with full faith, declaring that the Lord wants the work done, acting one's part, and trusting God to guide and support.
The cure is to see one's own helplessness, give up one's own will and way for God's will and way, and hang the helpless soul upon Jesus Christ to obtain a new heart and victory.