Diligence is Worth the Cost

Why do I keep paying for virus protection? 

Once again I've paid for my yearly subscription despite not having a single virus last year. Having been bit by a computer virus in the past, I am very discriminating of what emails or websites I click on. So maybe it's time to just stop wasting that money. After all, no threats were found.

And yet...


I'm not sure I would apply that thinking to:

• Maintaining fire extinguishers in our church
• Keeping a spare tire in my trunk
• Paying my life insurance premium....(OK, funny story here. When I worked in insurance, an executive once said to me that life insurance is a bet: The customer is betting they'll die and we're betting they won't. We want them to live worse than they do!)

We recognize that much of our diligence is to prepare for situations that rarely happen. And yet, we wouldn't want to be caught unprepared in any of them. 

"[Be] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance..." Ephesians 6:18

Flat tires are sporadic, but temptation is not. It's a reality everyday, and our alertness allows us to see temptation as a spiritual battle to be fought. We won't win them all, but we'll lose a lot less by spiritual diligence.

A Christian who says, "Everything's going pretty good, and I really don't have time to pray and read the Bible", is setting himself up for defeat. The good moments are your opportunity to prepare for the challenging ones we KNOW are right around the corner.

So I'll keep investing in that virus protection. Likewise, be sure you're investing spiritually in moments that are yet to come! God has supplied us with everything we need to stand for righteousness. Take up the challenge of living a diligent Christianity for the glory of God and as a witness to the lost.