What can happen when I’m careless about my relationship with God?

Luke 21:34“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware.”

When we are careless with our lifestyle, and when we are focused on wrong priorities (such as letting the worries of this life control us), our hearts will become dull, and we will miss out on the good life that God has for us.

Proverbs 10:26Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

Proverbs 13:4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

Proverbs 18:9A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.

Proverbs 20:4Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.

Isaiah 32:10In a short time—just a little more than a year—you careless ones will suddenly begin to care. For your fruit crops will fail, and the harvest will never take place.

Matthew 12:36“I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.”

Matthew 25:24-30“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘. . . I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! . . . why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ . . ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”

1 Timothy 4:14Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

When we are careless with our gifts and abilities, lazily refusing to use them, we hurt ourselves and others, and we hold back the building of God’s Kingdom. We should use our gifts and abilities to be good planners for our families, good employees or supervisors, and good citizens of God’s Kingdom, using our abilities to bring others to Christ. Being careless with our responsibilities and talents jeopardizes our future and the futures of those entrusted to our care.