When are Christians most likely to become spiritually lazy? Isn’t it when things are going well for them materially? Haven’t you noticed that? When you had daily troubles to bring to God in prayer, weren’t you more spiritually alert than you are now? Another risky time is when everything is going smoothly

in your spiritual life. There’s no temptation more dangerous than not being tempted at all. A troubled soul doesn’t sleep; it’s when we enter into a state of peaceful confidence and full assurance that we’re in danger of becoming complacent. The disciples fell asleep after they saw Jesus transfigured on the mountaintop. Be careful, joyful Christian; be as happy as you want, but stay alert.

The essence of good gardening is planning ahead. In the dead of winter, the gardener is already thinking about spring and summer, and some plants even require him to plan two years in advance. Why is it that people don’t look ahead? They know there’s

a future life, yet they think no more of it than cattle fattened for Christmas. Reader, since God has given you the intelligence of a human being, use it, and don’t live like an animal that only lives for the moment.