Pastor Ralph J. Mineo, St. Luke's Lutheran Church

My wife and I recently spent 4 and a half hours doing yard work! Trimming trees, pulling weeds, etc. Truth is, I've neglected doing that yard work for a long time. I really can't say "I didn't have the time." It's more accurate to say "I NEGLECTED the work." But it really felt good to get so much done that day.

Everybody neglects things. We all procrastinate certain projects. It's a great feeling when the neglect and procrastination stop. What really concerns me is that the SPIRITUAL part of life is getting neglected more and more in the busyness of our world -- at least this is my perception.

We read in Hebrews 2:1 "Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it." I don't think that most people in today's world are making active decisions to reject God. But I do think people are "drifting away."

When I was about 10 years old, I climbed into my Grandpa's car and was playing around. I think I did something I shouldn't have done, because the car started DRIFTING down the driveway. It drifted until it hit a tree! Ouch!

Author J. Vernon Mcgee once wrote: "Neglect in any area of life is tragic, but in the spiritual realm, hearing the gospel message and doing nothing about it is infinitely more tragic. What must I do to be lost? Nothing. A great many folk hear the gospel and give mental assent to it, but do nothing about it." Martin Luther once said: "If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith."

Let's get FIRED UP FOR JESUS. Let's not drift away from prayer, meditation, Bible reading, and public worship. Let us pay attention to what God wants us to do.