READ: John 11:28-45

…Go out quickly…and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.” – Luke 14:21

Most important things are not urgent. Important things are often unattractive and uninviting. It is difficult to be faithful with what God considers important.

For instance, prayer without ceasing is one of the most important things for us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Yet, we lack a sense of urgency when it comes to prayer. In times of trouble, you often cannot have faith. While you are in the trouble, you will feel like calling on God but fear and anxiety will grip your heart. It is almost impossible to pray under those circumstances. Then you will realize how important it was for you to have prayed.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not pray when He was arrested? It is because He had finished praying before the crisis began.

To preach the Gospel and to win the lost is another very important instruction (Matthew 28:19, 20). But often there is no sense of urgency to fulfil that command. The fact that you don’t feel any pressure does not mean that it is not important. Pressure does not always signify the importance of a command. It is a great thing to obey the Lord even when we are not under pressure to do so.

It takes greater faithfulness and diligence to perform duties that do not appear urgent or important.