The loud croaking of toads – I mean the LOUD croaking of toads drew me towards the plastic fish pond next to the larger dug-out pond. I had drained and cleaned the smaller one in preparation of lining it when I lined the larger pond but then abandoned it when the lining wasn’t long enough to cover both. My neglect was evident as I looked into the muddy rain water that now dirtied the pond. Clay is horrible to clean. It stains everything it touches. Because I had not protected the pond, I would now have to drain it again and ruin more towels when the new liner arrived.

I turned to go back to laying rocks around the big pond but the croaking interrupted me again. Where were those toads?

And then I saw them. Nine toads had fallen or jumped into the plastic pond. Apparently they couldn’t jump back out so it was up to me to rescue them. But how was I supposed to get them out? The bottom of that pond was too low for me to reach from where I stood. I didn’t really want to step into the water – shoes or no shoes. And they completely ignored the branch-ramp I carefully set in the pond.

Then I saw the fish net. Perfect. In minutes the toads were happily doing their thing among the plants in the larger pond.

Just like my neglect in securing the plastic pond caused a problem for the toads, our neglect in life can cause problems for other people. Broken promises to help someone in need can cause that need to remain unmet because the person was counting on us to meet it. Leaving early or not showing up for our shift serving at the food pantry can leave the group shorthanded. Inconsistently attending a Bible study and asking the group to catch us up on what we missed causes the whole group to lose momentum.

Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. Proverbs 18:9

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 1 Timothy 4:14

But the ones most affected by our procrastination and neglect, especially of something God called us to do, are ourselves. Not taking every thought captive to obey Christ can trap us in old thinking patterns and sin.  Inconsistently reading the Bible or not putting into action what we read keeps us from growing spiritually. Neglecting meeting with other believers or in going to church puts us in danger of growing cold and eventually being deceived into wrong beliefs.

Rationalization, justification, explanation – it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that something that should be done isn’t. God calls that disobedience.

Hear instructions and be wise, and do not neglect it. Proverbs 8:33

What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? Matthew 21 28-31

And disobedience has dire consequences.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

In the case of my pond, I couldn’t finish it along with the other because I didn’t have the materials I needed. But that doesn’t excuse the way I left it. I could have covered it and protected it from the rain which would have protected the toads. Which reminds me of yet another of Jesus’ parables.

When the unclean spirits have gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. Luke 11:24-26a

Let’s take care of the jobs we have been given, and hopefully we won’t find later on that nine toads have moved into our lives.

More Scriptures:

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. James 1 22-24

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25