Lazy Sunday

Do you ever get bored? I do. Being "bored" is another word for slowly "vegetating." I want to be doing something with my life, and the best thing I can ever do is to share the gospel with someone who has never understood it. So, I will often will jump on my bike and ride around until I meet someone who will listen.

It was a lazy Sunday warm California afternoon, and I was riding my bike towards a man in his mid-20’s who was patiently waiting while his dog was engrossed in sniffing the base of a power pole. I rode up and said, "Hi, did you get one of these?" I handed him a coin with the Ten Commandments on it and watched his reaction. He wasn’t offended, so I remarked about his dog. It was one of those muscular low-to-the-ground bulldogs. I said, "Nice dog," and we talked about the pooch for a moment. Then I introduced myself. He told me his name, so I said, "Mark. I have a question for you. What do you think happens when someone dies?" He said, "They go to Heaven or to Hell." I asked, "Where are you going?" He said "Heaven." He, like most of us, believed he was on his way there because he was a good person. So, I said, "I have four questions for you," and took him through four of the Ten Commandments.

It turned out that he had lied, stolen, blasphemed, and looked with lust. With that knowledge, he now realized that he was guilty before God, and on his way to Hell, and that concerned him.

I asked him if he was aware that God had done something wonderful to save us from Hell. He knew that Jesus died on the cross, but he didn’t realize that a legal transaction took place when Jesus paid our fine. He did that, so that God could legally dismiss our case. That’s what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is all about--our fine was paid in His life's blood so that God, upon our repentance and faith in Jesus could withdraw our death sentence and let us live. Mark and I shook hands and I rode off with the knowledge that that conversation had changed a vegetating afternoon into one that was very fruitful.

So, the next time boredom comes your way, don’t let it send you to sleep. Let it be an alarm clock that stirs you to (with the help of God) seek and save that which is lost.