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PUNCTUALITY
A Matter of Our Being Considerate
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but
also to the interest of others".
Philippians 2 : 3-4
Christians must be considerate
people. We must always be about the task of looking out for the
interests of others, not those of our own. Yet many believers
do not practise this when they are habitually late for Church
services, classes, teaching assignments, nursery work and other
membership obligations
When one commits himself to a church, he is committing to attend
the services. He knows when those services begin. And when he
says that he will teach, e.g., a children's class at 9.30 am,
he is saying that he will be there at that time.
And yet, sadly, there are members who are habitually late for
almost every activity or responsibility. I have heard almost every
imaginable excuse. In some cases they may be legitimate, but often
the excuses are flimsy.
Probably, the most often used alibi is "The children"
or "my wife was running late". In many of these situations,
the real reason is that the father, who is supposed to be the
spiritual leader, is himself the culprit. In many cases, the father
fails to lend any help to the mother who is trying to take care
of all of the Sunday morning chores. She has to cook breakfast,
get the kids up, see that they are dressed, fed, etc. The husband
often sits around reading the Sunday morning sports page without
helping his harried wife.
Let's think for a moment about the damage done by Church members
who are habitually late.
- It creates a poor atmosphere on Sundays
for the entire family.
- Often the family arrives for a time
of worship with unsettled anger between them (no way to come
before the Lord).
- A very poor example is being set before
the family. Children often follow in the same pattern as their
parents.
- Those who keep filing in late can seriously
disrupt those who have planned the services or who are teaching
the class. Often their train of thought or the form of service
is interrupted.
- By arriving late, they are a distraction
to others in the classes or congregation.
- When one arrives late, he often misses
an important ingredient which would have helped him in his understanding
or Christian walk.
How does one break such a
pattern of habitual lateness? We must realize that his repeated
lateness is inconsiderate of others. Next, he should begin a pattern
of arriving early, not just on time. In doing so, being late because
of minor delays can be eliminated. If you have left too much of
the preparation to your spouse, take on a fair portion of the
responsibilities for yourself. Finally, think about punctuality
as a way of setting a good example for others to follo
Curtis C. Thomas
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