Not repairing my house?

II Kings 12:7b Why are you not repairing the house?

King Jehoash was a king who wanted to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  He saw that the temple was in disrepair because of the lack of interest on the part of the people and even the priests (too much attention paid to other worship instead of to the worship of God) so he told the priests to be repairing God’s house.  Yet after 23 years the priests still had done no work … just collected money to do the work.  And the king’s response really struck me today as I re-read this account.  There was no good reason to not be doing the repairs.  There was no lack of means, of supplies, or of personnel.  It was procrastination and/or pure laziness.  It made me stop and think again about my own life and what keeps me from reaching my own goals.  Although I never used to procrastinate, I see that tendency creeping into my life in these retirement years.  Why am I not repairing my own bodily house?  I can only say it is procrastination and laziness that keeps me from pursuing better physical and spiritual health.  I have no other valid excuse.

More training required

Titus 1:7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach … self-controlled.

I was stuck this morning as I read through the book of Titus how important self-control is considered for all who name the name of Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.  A leader in the church (an overseer) has that call to self-control on him, but he is not alone.  Paul goes on to include older men (2:2), older women (2:5), and younger men (2:6) in that responsibility to learn and exercise self-control.  And just in case someone might think themselves to be exempt, Paul concludes by saying that all who have received salvation should train to be self-controlled (v.11012).  The grace of God in us will train us for self-controlled, upright, godly living.  Those areas of my life that show less discipline need to be trained for self-control in order to display godliness.  I must keep working on that, even in my older years because I have not learned total self-control yet, as much as I hate to admit it.