How Well Are You Maintaining?

Devotions/Partners

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Ecclesiastes 10:18 (KJV): “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.”

COMMENTARY: Would you agree that some aspects of the workplace are more glamorous and exciting than others? This passage applies to every workplace, even if it’s a small home-based business. The reality is that there are mundane aspects of maintaining your facility that are easy to ignore or miss. There are also bigger aspects of maintaining your facility that are easy to dismiss and delay because they are a significant expense. This passage reveals that the root cause of much facility decay is sheer laziness. Companies aren’t willing to allocate the funds and aren’t motivated to maintain their facilities because it’s just too much of a hassle and expense. So, they coast.

APPLICATION: “Pay me now, or pay me later” and “mind the store” are common expressions that apply to your facility today. It’s much wiser to nip problems in the bud now, than to hold off on required maintenance until things reach crisis or emergency mode. You may not be the facilities manager where you work, but you can help by taking good care of your own workspace; reporting areas of concern to your supervisor, facilities manager or landlord; and making constructive suggestions about how your facilities can be kept in tip-top shape without breaking the budget.

This passage also applies to your personal home. Are you being a diligent steward of your home, or are you foolishly and lazily allowing it to decay? As the owner of a log home for decades, I can tell you that if I’m lazy about taking care of my logs, my home will eventually rot. Not on my watch!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ecclesiastes 10:18 (KJV), read There is No Way to Know What Comes Afterwards (Eccl 9:1-11:6) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.