Don’t Mill Around, Keep Working!

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.’ (Habakkuk 2:1)

The context of Habakkuk overall is that he had 2 complaints (or concerns) that he saw his world facing.  The first was the widespread injustice he saw; evil curtailed the Righteous.  The second concern, feeding off the first, was evil seemed to drag the majority of people into its fold; the people did not follow the path of Righteousness and no one was taking leadership to lead people into the Light of the Lord.  The Lord answers both concerns; first He allowed the Babylonian conquest and as subsequent exile of the Israelites to Babylon, and second God promised Habakkuk He would have final rule over all the people in the End Times (though it would not happen in Habakkuk’s day and the Lord would allow this to ‘linger’).

In the middle of these two concerns voiced by Habakkuk is a great statement that he makes.  Habakkuk proclaims that he will be ‘on watch’, awaiting the Lord and His answers.   Realizing it is he who answers to God, and not the other way around, Habakkuk is not simply milling around smartly waiting for a response but is acting in the defense of his Faith.  Why does someone stand watch on the ramparts?  To guard against enemies that are coming toward the wall, and to repel them when they start climbing it. 

Habakkuk is not simply sitting around, but is being active while waiting.  Habakkuk’s response is also more than just a willingness to be active while waiting on God’s answer to him.  It is also telling us that old ‘Hab’ was perhaps doing things that was outside his ‘comfort zone’; he was a prophet and likely a Levite priest.  If he meant ‘standing watch on the ramparts’ in the literal sense, this would be something not normally done by a Jewish priest.  If figuratively, Habakkuk is stating he is not being passive but is active in defending God and His teachings. 

In some cases, the Christian believes that after certain accomplishments, or at a certain age, it’s time to retire from doing Christian activities and wait on God.  However, the time to retire from Christian service is… never.  There are three major tasks we all need to engage in, evangelism, education, and encouragement.  Now one may need to stop working in a sector of ministry due to physical or mental constraints, but there are still needs for someone to evangelize to those outside the church, or use their Biblical knowledge to encourage and educate a new Christian. 

I once taught a Sunday Bible Study in an assisted living facility and was asked by a woman in her 90’s and in a wheelchair what she could possibly do.  I told her she could ‘stand at her watch’, so to speak; talk to her fellow facility residents about Jesus and pray with them, for them.  Give them Scriptural references and encouragement.  It doesn’t take much to serve Jesus, but it does take effort – but that effort is not always backbreaking. 

We are all getting older, and we may slow down.  Slowing down does not mean stop.  It may mean ‘work smarter’ or ‘work more efficiently and effectively’.  Can’t stand the kids screaming the pre-school ministry?  Look at teaching an adult Life Group, or volunteer to be a Greeter or Prayer Partner and talk to adults.  (Be forewarned, though – some adults can occasionally act like little kids.)  Take a 1,000-foot view and see if there are things you may be interested in doing, and go explore doing it.  Don’t just wait for God; be proactive and go ‘do’ what He has told us to do; we have the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), and the command to ‘love one another’. 

Go and do, don’t sit and wait!