The Result Of Neglect
We have a lot of things around here that are broken down pieces of junk. We have lots of houses that are in need of being torn down because they really do present a hazard to the community. A house that is not lived in will break down and collapse upon itself in a few years, whereas a house that is lived in will last a long time. What we see is the result of neglect.
We drive around and see the results of neglect everywhere. If you neglect your garden, weeds will take over. If you neglect your homework, your grades will go down, and you may have to repeat the same courses because of your neglect. I'm sure we all realize what happens when a child is neglected. Most of them are in prison right now. What if you neglect to change the oil for vehicle maintenance?. Sooner than later your car will cease working as it should.
Neglect can be very costly. Putting off seeing a doctor can have bad results for your health. Replacing a car engine is very expensive. Not taking care of your house can cause bigtime expenses. Neglecting your duties can cause you to lose your job.
We see these things in the material/physical world. We understand how things operate in real life. We consider anyone a fool to neglect something that requires maintenance. Yet somehow, this world seems to get along by neglecting the most important thing of all. So let us consider our soul and the result of neglect.
If you neglect the truth, you will lose your soul. If you neglect bible study, you become a breeding ground for the devil's lies, and you will fall for anything whether it is truth or not. If you neglect going to church on a regular basis, you are just what Satan is looking for to recruit into his service. Even if you find yourself going to church every time the doors are open, you can still neglect the church or the message in your own life. If you think about other things when you should be concentrating upon worship or listening to the lesson; you are still guilty of neglect if the service or the message does not move you.
You can tell your children to go to church, but if you do not go, you teach them a lesson that church is not important enough for you to go, so why should they?
You can let the world raise your children. Sure, there are some shows that teach lessons about getting along with others. However, if you do not teaching them about God and His ways, and that His ways are right; you are raising a future atheist.
If you neglect your soul, how can you have a positive effect upon others? How can you let your light shine if you are always hiding it? Such behavior does no good for anyone around you. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 to let our light shine so that others can see our good works and glorify God who is in heaven. So if we fail to do God's word, and we fail to set a good example, what will be the result? We should not have to say it, but you will lose your soul.
We already know that there is too much neglect in the important things of life. Let us change ourselves to not neglect the important things.
By Carey Scott

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