Reject Neglect!

" 'We will not neglect
the house of our God.' "
(Nehemiah 10:39b)
There are sins of commission and sins of omission. To "omit" means to leave out, to fail to do, to neglect.

We are usually aware of the sins we commit. The Holy Spirit convicts us, and we repent. But what about things that we don't do? Can we err by doing nothing at all? Absolutely! And the Holy Spirit convicts us of that, as well.

Jesus strongly criticized the Pharisees for their hypocritical sins of omission: " 'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.' " (Matthew 23:23-24). Luke 11:42 similarly records Jesus' words: " 'Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth ... but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.' "

Pretty strong words, don't you agree? I'd say sins of omission are pretty much intolerable and inexcusable in the eyes of God.

Yesterday, in "The Protection of Correction", I wrote that my daughter received orthodontic treatment, not because her teeth are crooked or otherwise visibly compromised but because she is missing a permanent tooth, and the lack of a permanent fixture in that space is causing the other teeth to drift, causing her entire bite to move out of alignment. The absence of one tooth is affecting the rest, as beautiful and straight and strong as they may be.

That's so true in our Christian walk! Our lives are to be the very reflection of Jesus Christ, yet, sometimes, something is missing. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sins of omission, just as He convicts us of sins of commission, but I think that we often find those nudgings easier to ignore, justify, or otherwise explain away. Yet, it is vital to our overall spiritual health that we do not neglect what the Lord is bringing to our attention! Just as our conscious can become seared if we deliberately continue unrepentant in our sin against the Lord, our conscious can become dulled if we deliberately ignore His promptings to fill the gaps in our Christian witness.

Despite all the wonderful work rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, Nehemiah discovered that something was omitted--the Levites had not received their due portions and had therefore returned "back to their own fields" (reference Nehemiah 13:10). Nehemiah asked, "Why is the house of God neglected?" (Nehemiah 13:11).

Beloved, is there an uncomfortable refrain in your Spirit today? Please don't neglect it! Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin of omission in your life, and immediately take steps to correct the void. Do not leave any toehold for the enemy, for emptiness will be filled with either good or evil, and, in the eternal kingdom, neutrality is evil. " '... because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.' " (Revelation 3:16). Fill the vacuum with what the Holy Spirit reveals to you, and there will be no laodicean gaps allowing enemy access.

Precious Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit! Forgive us for neglecting that which is important to You. We are hungry to do Your complete will, Lord. We will not pick and choose among Your revelations, but we will eat all that You portion for us. Thank You for filling the hungry with good things (reference Luke 1:53)! Reveal to us our sins of omission, Lord; give us a sense of urgency to fill the void--but only with what You desire. Grant us courage and determination to leave nothing undone. I pray in the name of Jesus, Your perfect Son, Who perfectly fulfilled Your will, omitting nothing. Amen.

"For you know
that it was not
with perishable things
such as silver or gold
that you were redeemed
from the empty way of life
handed down to you
from your forefathers,
but with the precious
blood of Christ,
a lamb without
blemish or defect."
(1 Peter 1:18-19)
How can we encourage and pray for you today? Please let us know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

Copyright 2008. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.