June 24

So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste. — 2 Chr 24:5 BSB

The Levites seemed indifferent and negligent in their duty. No reason is given for their lack of energy, but the consequences were clear. The house of the Lord remained in a state of decay, year after year, dishonoring God’s name and shaming those who had been commanded to repair it.

This is an old story, but it carries a lesson for us about the sin of neglect in doing God’s work. Whatever task we are called to do, we should do it promptly. Promptness is half of obedience. Procrastination is a serious sin. It drains life of much of its potential for good and can develop into a harmful habit. A boy who is slow and loitering will always be behind, and when he becomes a man, he will accomplish little. Many good people fail to achieve what they might have, not because they were idle, but because they loitered and didn’t work with intensity.