1. The Holy Spirit helps us overcome any lackadaisical attitudes by giving us a wholehearted motivation to demonstrate our love for God. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27) Trust the Spirit of God to wholeheartedly motivate you to give of your best to the MASTER.
2. The Holy Spirit reveals gems of insight to those who are willing to overcome their lethargy and reach out to help save those dying in their sins. The 72 disciples returned from witnessing and said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." Jesus said, "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children." (Luke 10:21) Ask the Lord to help you to be willing to do whatever you can to win more people for Christ enabling you to understand the great powers that are available to his witnesses.
3. The Holy Spirit warns us of the consequences of apathetic, complacent or lackadaisical attitudes. Solomon wrote, "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32) Ask the Lord to help you to avoid any type of apathetic, complacent or lackadaisical attitude in your personal, family or ministry experiences.
4. The Holy Spirit helps us overcome any fears that may cause us to become lackadaisical. Paul wrote, "God has not given you the spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love and discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7) Ask the Lord to help you confess and overcome your fears through the greater power of the Spirit living in you.
5. The Holy Spirit urges us to overcome our peer group’s lackadaisical attitudes by teaching us how to refuse to just go along to get along with others. Paul wrote, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom. 12:2) Ask the Lord to help you to avoid falling into the temptation of just living by the standards of the majority instead of the leading of the Spirit of God.
6. The Holy Spirit provides us with all the resources, energy and power to complete every task within God’s will. Many people succumb to the temptation to grow lukewarm in their attitudes toward service because they think they do not have enough resources, energy or authority to move ahead in their ministries. Remember what the disciples said to Jesus when they were faced with the task of feeding 5,000 hungry people, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" Jesus took the seven loaves and fish and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were SATISFIED." (Matt. 15:33-37) Ask the Lord to help you to avoid assuming a lackadaisical attitude because of your seemingly limited resources, energy or power. Remember that God’s tasks ahead of us are never greater than the power and provisions behind us.
7. The Holy Spirit convicts us and corrects us when we allow carnal attitudes of bitterness, laziness or selfishness to keep us from giving our best. One day Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him saying, ‘Never, Lord! This will never happen to you! (Speaking of Christ’s prediction of His violent death) Jesus said, "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Matt. 16:22,23) Paul said, "The carnal mind is hostile toward God because it cannot please God." (Gal. 5:17-19) Ask the Lord to help you be contrite and repentant when the Spirit convicts you of any carnal attitude that might lead you to adopt a lackadaisical attitude toward your relationships, your personal lifestyle or your ministries.
8. The Holy Spirit urges us in God’s word to be fervent rather than lackadaisical toward our ministries. Paul wrote, "Do not be slothful in your business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." (Rom. 12:11) Ask the Lord to teach you more about what the scriptures teach regarding fervency in all areas of life.
9. The Holy Spirit helps us visualize all the rich rewards that await those who are diligent and not lackadaisical in their service to the Lord. Solomon wrote, "He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored." (Prov. 14:18) Ask the Lord to help you envision great rewards for your diligent obedience in every relationship and ministry opportunity.
10. The Holy Spirit exposes the waste of resources caused by those who are lackadaisical. Solomon wrote, "Much food is in the tillage of the diligent, but there is one who is destroyed for lack of diligence." (Prov. 13:23) Ask the Lord to help you avoid idling away your time by being diligent in every good work.
11. The Holy Spirit helps you plan how to best use all of your time, talents and opportunities so as to avoid getting slack in your service. Solomon wrote, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty, careless, or ill-prepared will surely come to poverty." (Prov. 21:5) Ask God to help you to plan how to use your time, talents and opportunities - making the most of your time for the Lord!
