“Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains desolate?” Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! You have sown much, only to harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.” The Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1: 3-7 NASB)
In the late 1980’s, a simple tagline by an athletic footwear company caught the attention of buyers, and with a great marketing plan, the company experienced what we would call exponential success. I’m sure many of you reading this remember the tagline, “Just Do It.”
Other companies had success with their taglines too. Do you remember the hamburger chain that used the phrase, “Have it Your Way”? How about the candy company that enhanced their sales with the phrase, “Melts in your mouth and not in your hands.”
We could go on with more examples, but if you are honest about it, you will acknowledge that someone in your household, and perhaps you as well, were moved to purchase one if not all of the products associated with the aforementioned taglines. Consequently, it can be said that you contributed to the growth of some major companies, and it did not take much more than the tagline to persuade you. Shake your head in the affirmative, for you know I am right about it.
It’s Sunday morning and I want you to see the tagline in bold print above, in the opening verses, and let it, hopefully and prayerfully, get you moving in the right direction today. Three bold words, a brief God-sent challenge for you to consider giving some priority to your local church, starting with returning if you have been straying and of course, remaining if you have been staying. Let me repeat the tagline, a specifically sent message sent specifically to you for a specific purpose, “Consider you ways.” What is the specific purpose of this sent message? The purpose is to move you, yes you, to take actions to contribute to your personal spiritual growth and the growth of your local church.
Note that your personal spiritual growth figures in to the growth of the universal church and the positive influence of the kingdom of God on earth. Finally, if you thought about staying home today, Sunday, the day when the saints of God assemble together, again I say unto you, “Consider your ways.” Be blessed!
“Let us examine our ways…” (Lamentations 3:40a Good News Translation)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King