A Legacy of Love
Philippians 3:7-16
The mission to land a man on the moon began by President Kennedy sharing a vision in his inaugural address for achieving that ambitious objective by the end of the decade. In doing so, he stated that “we choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to measure the best of our energies.”
The United States was coming out of a period of national complacency in the 50’s, and Kennedy’s bold challenge appealed to the need for engaging in a cause worthy of our potential. The Peace Corps was another expression of that audacious spirit, which he described as “idealism without illusion.” And both efforts, the moon landing and the Peace Corps, brought out our very best as a nation, and remain among America’s finest distinctions.
Christian discipleship has a similar aspirational quality of calling on the best of our energies and commitment for a worthy cause. The Apostle Paul describes it as “pressing on:” “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” The worthiest cause of all is to live into our potential as God’s children and followers of his Son, Jesus.
“Sloth,” one of the Seven Deadly Sins, has no such lofty aspirations. We can’t help but think of sloths, the sluggish tree dwellers of Central and South America, who are famously lazy. They can spend their entire life in a single tree, sleeping up to 20 hours a day and remaining motionless 90% of the time. Their hands and feet have long, curved claws that allow them to hang upside down from tree branches, a favorite position from which they tend to eat, sleep and even give birth. They sometimes also remain hanging from branches after they die. Sloths have virtually no ambition in life beyond simply existing.
Similarly, the sin of spiritual sloth means living in a state of laziness and indifference to the things of God, without ambition or commitment. And while the term “sloth” is seldom used in this reference today, its reality and deadly consequences are still as timely as ever. In fact, whether we now call it apathy or complacency, this classic sin might be the greatest curse of all the Seven Deadly Sins for our generation. There’s no doubt that it’s a problem of epidemic proportions in the church today. Most pastors would attest to that: the majority report struggling with discouragement and disappointment resulting from widespread complacency and passivity among members of their congregation.
And, in fact, pollsters and church statisticians have redefined “active church members” in recent years to reflect a disturbing trend. Whereas “active membership” once applied to those attending worship at least three times a month, that designation is gradually being downgraded to church attendance only twice monthly, and in some settings, even just one Sunday a month. The importance of worship has been steadily diminished and marginalized by other priorities, whether intentionally or simply by virtue of neglect. And, of course, when people attend church less consistently they are also less involved in other aspects of their faith. The declining trend in charitable giving by churches is an inevitable consequence of this erosion of commitment. Yet, it’s important that we not just speak in general terms, but that we look inwardly, too, to our own state of devotion to God. Most of us are probably guilty of some degree of spiritual sloth, if we’re honest.
The Bible speaks often about the importance of zeal, having a wholehearted passion in our relationship with God. The Great Commandment calls us to an unequivocal devotion: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). In other words, our love for God is to be reflected in ALL we are and EVERYTHING we do. That’s an ideal requiring the very best of our energies and commitment. But it’s also “without illusion.”
Paul also acknowledges that we’re all pilgrims who are still learning and growing on the way. After speaking of “pressing on,” he concludes with the assurance that “if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you” (v.15). We need to remember that the grace and mercy of God are always with us on our journey, and that it’s a collaborative effort.
The movie “City Slickers” has a scene in which one of the guests at a dude ranch is on a cattle drive with a grizzled old cowboy named Curly. Mitch is a white-collar worker from Manhattan who’s in the throes of a mid-life crisis, and their conversation comes around to the subject of the meaning of life. Curly says, “You know what the secret of life is?”
“No,” Mitch replies.
“This,” Curly says, holding up his index finger.
“Your finger?” Mitch asks.
“One thing, just one thing,” Curly continues. “You figure that out and nothing else really matters.”
Mitch: “That’s great, but what’s the one thing?’
Curly: “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.”
There’s wisdom in that answer. We all need to discover and pursue the “one thing” that inspires and guides us, an overriding purpose that gives our lives meaning and value. We need something beyond ourselves, an ideal worthy of the sacred gift of life.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we already have that revelation. The only question--but it’s a big one--is how faithfully we’re living by the light we’ve been shown.
The historic Westminster Catechism has been a guiding light in the church for centuries, and its most famous answer summarizes the meaning of discipleship. The Catechism’s very first question is, “What is the chief end of man?” It’s a great question: “Why are we here? What matters most?” The answer is simple, but life-changing: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” (Repeat.) We were created expressly for the greater glory of God, and to live in an intimate relationship with him, both now and in the life to come.
But the sin of sloth simply doesn’t care about glorifying God or living in a committed relationship with him. On the contrary, sloth prefers a lazy and passive existence, always taking the path of least resistance, aspiring to little more than serving our own selfish comfort and pleasure. Simply put, it’s a sinful waste of life and its sacred potential.
Abraham Lincoln suffered a period of deep depression early in his adult life and seriously considered suicide. Ultimately, the only reason he didn’t act on his feelings then was because he concluded that he hadn’t yet accomplished anything of any value with his life, and he wanted to make his life count for something worthwhile. Lincoln had a healthy ambition to leave the world a better place for having lived. We can all be thankful for that: beyond the political impact of his presidency, his great soul and noble character continue to inspire millions.
As Christians, we also have the awesome responsibility, and the sacred privilege, to have our lives count for the greater glory of God. We owe it to God, to ourselves, and to those our lives can touch to commit the best of our energies to the things that matter most, “strengthening that which remains” (Rev. 3:2).
Robert Frost wrote in his classic poem, “The Road Not Taken:”
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
It’s up to us to choose the path we’ll take: Will we “press on,'' to know, love and glorify God, giving him our very best? Or, will we waste our lives, and neglect the care of our souls, because of sloth?
That one monumental decision--which path we take-- will make all the difference for the impact of our lives and their legacy for future generations. Because our godly influence will “pass the torch” and live on in the hearts of those we’ll only meet in heaven. May God help us to choose wisely and well, and to give the best of ourselves to the cause of his great, saving love. Truly, nothing matters more.
Amen.
