What are the signs of carelessness?
Leviticus 18:4, 30; 19:37“You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. . . . So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God. . . . You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the Lord.”
Joshua 22:5“Be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Psalm 85:8I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Matthew 7:26-27“Anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Our disobedience to God is a sign of carelessness in our relationship with him. This may involve as hearing God’s commands and knowing what is right but doing wrong anyway, or simply choosing to go our own way. We must be careful to watch for the first signs of disobedience in our lives.
Proverbs 26:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”
Making excuses is a sign that we are being careless with our responsibilities. When we make excuses to get ourselves off the hook, we are demonstrating carelessness for our responsibility to do the right thing.
Genesis 25:32-34“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
Judges 11:31, 35“I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” . . . When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. “Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”
Matthew 14:6-9At a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.
Making rash promises or simply speaking without thinking is a sign that we are being careless with our speech. Think very carefully before making a promise. If we cannot keep a promise, we should not make it.
