Good morning, everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”
Our Bible verse for today: “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.” Proverbs 6:6-11 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Stay active”
We can tell from his words in Proverbs 6:6-11 that Solomon had little patience for lazy people. But I also think he was preaching to the choir – he was preaching to himself. If you’re familiar with his story, especially as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, you know that Solomon himself went through a long period (maybe years), of lounging around on the couch eating junk food and watching television (or the equivalent as it existed in his day)
The point is that inactivity is a killer. It wastes your time and therefore it wastes your life. It reduces your productivity and your sense of self-worth, and it destroys your health. The less active you are, the more likely you are to be overweight or obese. The less active you are, the weaker your heart and lungs will be. The less active you are, the less energy you will have. In short, the more active you are the more alive you are, and the less active you are the closer to being dead you are.
As Dan Buettner and his team of researchers discovered and reported in their National Geographic book “Blue Zones”, one character trait people who live long and live well seem to have in common is that they stay active. Even in their retirement years they exercise, take daily walks, do yardwork and gardening, play with the grandchildren, and do household projects; they enjoy hobbies, they go places and do things, and they keep moving.
In the final chapter of the book, Dan gives us a list of recommendations we can employ in our own lives to create our own Blue Zones. In other words, there are things we can learn from those who have lived long and well which we can incorporate into our own lives, and which will help us to live long and well also. As we learned already, one of them is to develop, maintain, and practice a vibrant life of faith. Now we learn that another is to stay active.
It really is true that the more active you are the more alive you are, and the less active you are the closer to being dead you are. That’s true figuratively, but also literally. Therefore, I encourage you to stay active.
God bless,
Pastor Jim
(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
Oak Hill Baptist Church 