The Danger of Idleness
Recent conversations with men and women standing for marriage restoration make it painfully clear how many struggle to overcome the danger of idle time and idle words. Yet both are serious issues to God and even though the Bible doesn’t actually say so, they truly are “the devil’s workshop.”
God has placed an individual call on each of our lives and has a very specific plan for each and every day we live. But we tend to overlook that because we’re overly focused on something “big” and “miraculous.” And even though He does indeed have great and mighty plans for us, He won’t move us into that bigger and better plan until we’re faithful in the “little” things we’re all called to do. God’s Word tells us how to do things a certain way, and promises that when we do, He will do something very specific and glorious in return. So if He rewarded our disobedience with the blessing He promised even if we are disobedient, that would make a mockery of His word; and that would make Him a liar. Well, we know God is not a liar and He’s not going to be mocked, which Galatians 6:7 makes very clear, because it says Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. So if we want to reap the awesome blessings and promises of God, we need to start paying a lot more attention to whether or not we’re sowing seeds of faith and obedience by doing things HIS way instead of ours! Obviously, that means reading and studying the Bible so we know what His word teaches about His ways and what He wants us to do, because just as Deuteronomy 32:47 tells us, They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” And until we demonstrate to the Lord that He can trust us to be faithful and obedient concerning the “little things” He asks and expects us to do, we have no right or reason to expect Him to bless us or trust us with more, as indicated in Luke 19:17, which says “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ And Jesus very powerfully illustrated and confirmed that again in The Parable of the Talents.
So, as Ephesians 5:15-17 (AMP) instructs, we need to Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. And the verse before that is particularly important for men and women feeling lost, dead, or empty because their spouse has walked out on them; saying that he or she does not love them and doesn’t want anything to do with them; that they love someone else and they just want to be happy…blah, blah, blah. Yet, Ephesians 5:14 (AMP) declares Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. What an AWESOME promise, and so, so true! The Lord just wants us to awaken to Him and seek HIS direction for our lives so He can live in us and shine through us!
As most of us can testify to, idle time and idle thoughts are indeed the devil’s workshop, which he knows how to use very effectively against us as we stand for our marriages. So the following verses are just a few that give us a better understanding of how God views idleness, including idle words and thoughts (notions). They also help us understand why idle time and idle words are something to be avoided, because God expects us to “occupy” until He returns and to praise, honor and glorify Him while HE works on the restoration of our marriages and families. He just wants us to DO our part by standing in faith and obedience on the power and promise of His Word, as we TRUST Him to do exactly what His Word says.
Proverbs 31:27 – She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Isaiah 58:12-14 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Colossians 2:18 – Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 – And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 – In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
2 Thessalonians 3:11 – We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
1 Timothy 5:13 – Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
Luke 19:13 (KJV) – And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
During this season of our lives when God has allowed our spouses to depart, He still has a plan and purpose for us. And based on the above verses, it’s clear that doing nothing and being idle is NOT part of God’s plan, so it’s up to us to discover what He wants us to do during this time. And since God’s first commandment is to have no other God’s or idols before Him and to love Him with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength, He obviously wants us to draw closer to Him by using this time to grow in our walk and relationship with Him. As His body, we’re here to do His work, so we need to find something to DO for HIS kingdom that will bring praise, honor and glory to His name instead of just sitting around waiting for the day our spouses come home. We can ALWAYS find some kind of volunteer work or ministry to do in His name and for His glory, including supporting, encouraging and giving comfort to others in similar circumstances. So let’s make sure we “occupy” until the Lord restores our marriages, because the more we do to praise and glorify His name, the more He gives us for His praise and glory! And since none of God’s kingdom principles EVER fail, we know that we will always reap the same harvest we sow, and a whole lot more of it!
Unfortunately, we just don’t understand and accept that EVERY word we speak actually sows seed of one kind or another and that we will end up eating their fruit; either for life or death; for blessings or curses (Proverbs 18:21). But Proverbs 4:24-25 clearly warns, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. And 1 Peter 3:9-12 instructs, Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Yet many men and women standing for marriage restoration fail to understand what this means and how vitally important it is when engaged in spiritual warfare for the restoration of our marriages and families. In addition to so many verses making it abundantly clear that we are to respect and HONOR our spouses’ and cover their nakedness instead of exposing their sins, failures and weaknesses, the above verses make it just as clear that God hates gossip and any kind of perverse or corrupt and idle conversation. So it’s very distressing to hear spouses indulging in or repeating every detail of conversations they’ve had with family members, friends and others about their spouses; what they’re doing or not doing and any information they can share or get concerning their spouses’ activities or even what others think about them and what they’re doing. Yet, ANY and ALL conversation of that nature is TOTALLY against everything the Bible teaches about love and marriage; such as 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 , 1 Peter 3:1-12 and all of Ephesians 5. And when we fully understand what the Bible teaches, we realize that God is not at all pleased when our sin consciousness is toward sin other than our own, which is made VERY CLEAR by reading Matthew 7:1-5, John 8:1-11, Luke 18:9-14 and 2 Corinthians 10:6. And it’s not enough just to refrain from initiating disparaging conversation about our spouses, so there are no good excuses for participating in such conversations; like the ones I often hear…”But I didn’t ask…” or “Well, they just told me…” and other such excuses. Therefore, the minute someone begins to “share” information or their opinions about our spouses, it’s up to us to change the subject and redirect the conversation, and if necessary to make it clear that we aren’t going to discuss anything to do with our spouses. And there are many polite ways to do that. It’s almost always safe to just say that we know and appreciate that they love us and are concerned about us, but that we’ve learned that we do a lot better if we just don’t discuss anything to do with our spouses and that we’d really appreciate if they would understand and respect that. Then don’t stop and give them time to respond; just continue talking and change the subject.
In addition to obedience, another important reason to avoid participating in idle and disparaging conversations (gossip) about our spouses is that the words we hear just end up being the fiery darts the devil uses against us as we continue standing for our marriages, and we’re literally the ones giving them to him when we fail to do what God so wisely instructs us to do and that’s definitely not guarding our hearts. So we should heed the wise counsel of 1 Peter 4:11, which says If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. And if we’re ever tempted to doubt how serious God is about the words we speak, just read and consider Matthew 12:35-37, which says (AND MEANS), The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
So we have to make a greater effort to avoid the dangers of idle time and words as we live EVERY day with purpose, remembering that God’s will, plan and purpose is to bring praise, honor and glory to the name and kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! And when we do, we are the ones who are blessed and encouraged beyond belief!!!