In one of Charles Schultz’ Peanuts comic strips, the character Marcie gives her schoolteacher some flowers. Not to be outdone, Peppermint Patty says to the teacher, “I thought about doing the same thing, Ma’am, but I never got around to it. Could you use a vase full of good intentions?”We’ve all had good intentions of doing something good, haven’t we? But then we failed to follow through. We may have wanted to make a phone call to check up on a friend, visit a sick brother or sister in Christ, or write a note of encouragement to a despondent loved one. But we didn’t take the time and make those things a priority in our daily Christian walk (Mark 8:34-35; Matthew 6:33).
Some folks know that Jesus Christ is the only means of their attaining salvation (Acts 4:10-12) , and they plan to obey Him “someday” — yet they keep putting it off (cf. Acts 24:24-25). They may have good intentions, but that won’t achieve their salvation.
As Christians, we may say that we want to grow closer to the Lord, but somehow we don’t make the time to read and study the Word of God or to pray (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). James has some strong words to those individuals who have the problem of not taking action: “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17; cf. Luke 12:47-48; John 9:41; John 15:22).
Beloved, is there some good thing we’ve been putting off doing? Let’s make that phone call to a friend today. Let’s write that note of encouragement today. Let’s visit that sick brother or sister in Christ today. Let’s render obedience to the saving gospel of Christ today (2 Corinthians 6:2). Remember, “a vase full of good intentions” will not hold water on the day of judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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