"Use It Or Lose It"

There’s a principle of law in our world that should be printed indelibly on our minds, and that is the fact that disuse brings decay. This principle is written upon every facet of life, whether animate or inanimate. Everything is marked with the verdict “use it or lose it.”

As followers of Christ, we need to learn this lesson well. If we use the talents that God has given us, we will be entrusted with other talents, but if we allow our talents and abilities to lay dormant for a long period of time, they will be taken from us — and we will lose even what we have (cf. Matthew 13:11-12; Matthew 25:24-30).

An active faith once unused, will crumble and decay — it will fade away in inactivity. The surest way to die spiritually is to become idle in the Lord’s church (cf. Revelation 3:1-2).

The bottom line is this: Either “do” or “die” — either “use it” or “lose it.” The inspired apostle Paul encourages us to keep what we have and gain more by being:

“steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58; cf. Gal. 6:9).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

Related Articles:

• Why Churches Die
• Dying By Degrees
• Let’s Never Rust Out!
• Staying Spiritually Fit
• What Are We Doing For Jesus With What We Have?
• What Is That In Thine Hand?