JUN 5

Proverbs 24:30-34
Memorise Romans 13:11-14
“… now it is high time to awake out of sleep…”

We are all given the same amount of time every day. Each of us has 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Yet, different people seem to be able to accomplish varying amounts of things with the time that is given. Some people seem to lead such fulfilling lives – they serve the Lord fervently, study hard in school, and can even be involved in various extracarricular activities! On the other hand, there are some who don’t seem to be able to get as much done. What is the main hindrance to making the best use of our time?

Today’s first reading paints a stark picture of a person who is idle and slothful. In fact, through the use of a parallelism, a slothful person is equated to one who is void of understanding – he is foolish and ignorant! His life is depicted as a field that is overgrown with weeds and thorns. It is a life that is unruly and lacks discipline, where weeds are given free reign to grow, and walls are in ruins without any effort to build them up again. Basically, his life is one big mess. He does not organise his time, he does not plan and prepare. He simply does as he pleases, without discipline and without order. Verse 33 reveals more of his slothful attitude – he is always seeking for a bit more sleep, a bit more rest. I am sure you can imagine this picture – a person lazing on his bed, refusing to get up even after snoozing his alarm countless times! “Just 5 minutes more…” and another hour passes by, in idleness and lazy slumber. All through the day he lazes around, aimlessly plays with his phone and never gets anything done. What does such a person have to look forward to? His poverty will come swiftly and suddenly, and this is a sure end. Certainly if he will not be diligent in his labour, he will suffer poverty and want.

Dear teen, does this sound all too familiar to you? Perhaps it is an accurate description of your own life! Have you been diligent in your studies, in fulfilling your earthly duties? More importantly, how zealous have you been in spiritual matters? Spiritual idleness will surely lead to spiritual poverty. If we are not willing to put in effort into our spiritual lives, we should not be surprised when we find our spiritual “bank accounts” totally empty! Dear teen, if you have been idle in your spiritual life, it’s time to wake up and serve the Lord while there is yet time!

Thought: An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a diligent Christian and to lay up treasures in heaven.