The Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur

Did you know that the fat-tailed dwarf lemur of Madagascar hibernates in tree holes for seven months of the year? Hibernating bears are able to recycle their proteins and urine, allowing them to stop urinating for months and to avoid muscle atrophy. I mention this because, on one level, it feels like the church has been hibernating for the past sixteen months. Now that we seem to be looking at the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, it is time to begin ramping things up once again.

It can be difficult though, can’t it? I mean, when we purchased that treadmill or started that diet, we were full of motivation and enthusiasm. Is your treadmill now covered with clothing or boxes of stuff? When is the last time you stepped onto your scale? After we pause doing something for a time, we can easily lose our motivation and slip back into old habits. Similarly, so many of us stayed home from church for the past year, or just engaged on Sunday mornings whether it was in-person or online. The church’s ministries and outreach in many cases were “hibernating.” Waiting for the appropriate length of time to pass. It is harder to get back on the treadmill a second time than it was the first. Likewise, we can sometimes get comfortable in our hibernation from ministry.

It is time to begin coming out of our caves. There is still much to be done in our church families, wider communities, and beyond. We may have hibernated, but need did not. There are still people who need to hear the gospel. People who want to be enriched, encouraged, and equipped.

I mention this because Proverbs 11:14 says, “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.” Like nations, without wise leadership, ministries too will fail. People have to step up and serve. Unfortunately, too many Christians think the “other person” is going to do it. That is not always the case. I know. Truth be told, we don’t really want to clean off our treadmill, or get back on the diet, but that is the only way we will lose weight and get into shape. Similarly, there is much to be done to build God’s Kingdom. It will not build itself. Without leadership, ministries fail. 

Jesus even admits, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2). So, whether it is teaching Sunday school, helping with Youth Group, leading a Men’s or Women’s ministry, or going on a mission. We need to carve out time to serve the Lord no differently then we need to make time to walk on the treadmill. (Can you tell my treadmill needs to be cleaned off?) Yes, it does mean we have to come out of the warmth, security, and comfort of hibernation, but we had to at some point, right? I am here to say, “The time is now, friends.” I pray you are getting ready to reengage. Don’t be a fat-tailed dwarf lemur. Step out into the light and pick up where you left off. There is work to be done. It did not go away, and God is counting on us.                

----------------------------------------------------- 

Remember to email your praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. We lift them up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.