“… the devil’s workshop!” While I can’t remember when I first heard that, it must have been at least 70 years ago. For my dad, a farmer, being idle was a foreign concept. He saw all the things that must be done, and he knew the nature of young boys. He knew young boys left to their own ways would find trouble & destructive things to do. He knew that an idle field would grow up in weeds. He not only raised rice & soybeans, but he also raised 2 boys. While my brother and I had weeds to pop up, we learned to chop them down. Dad was a good farmer.

One of the Principles or Life Practices of a great farmer is intentionality. God intentionally created everything in a timely process. We see God’s intentionality in Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Notice what happens with Adam & Eve’s idle time of looking at the forbidden fruit. Looking led to imaging…imaging led to eating the forbidden fruit…that led to the consequences of their sin.

Spiritually, Idleness leads to drifting. At first drifting seems so relaxing & enticing but when we wake up…the shore can be out of sight. Ponder the wisdom of Hebrews 2:1, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” So, how do “Followers of the Way” stay anchored to Christ? It’s simple. Choose to give Him some of your precious time to pray (personal conversation with Him) and read/ponder His Word. And throughout your day ask yourself, “Am I Grateful?” “Do People See the Joy of God In My Life?”