Article on Neglect | Negligence And Wolf Brand Chili
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesSeveral years ago, there was a catchy Wolf Brand Chili commercial on television that went something like this:
“Neighbor, how long has it been since you had a big, thick, steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili? ….Well, that’s too long.“
The question was designed to cause folks to remember how good a hot bowl of Wolf Brand Chili tasted, prompting them not to neglect the purchasing of that product.
The Scriptures indicate that negligence produces nothing positive (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:1-11; Matthew 25:24-30). Through neglect, a garden is overtaken by weeds; the roof begins to leak and eventually caves in on its residents; friendships are lost; love is lost and marriages are destroyed; children grow up undisciplined and are a shame to their parents and society. But most importantly, negligence causes erosion of our personal faith and by our indifference, thousands of souls will be eternally lost, including our own.
The inspired writer Peter realized this fact when he told the brethren:
“Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:12).
He thought of himself as being negligent if he did not exhort them to not forsake the blessings and privileges of being in Christ’s kingdom as well as continually incorporating the Christian graces into the fabric of their lives (2 Peter 1:1-11).
Brethren, when was the last time we spoke to someone about his or her soul? If it’s been long period of time, well, that’s too long. Have we forgotten how much joy is found in saving souls? Have we forgotten how important one soul is? (Luke 15:4-7; Matthew 18:12-14; cf. 2 Peter 3:9).
The Scriptures tell us that the value of a soul is directly proportional to the price paid for it and that price was the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; cf. Acts 20:28; Hebrews 9:12; Ephesians 1:5-7; Colossians 1:12-14).
The value of a soul is also determined by an exchange price. Our Lord said:
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
To ask the question is to answer the question — there is nothing in this material world that is of comparable value to a man’s soul. The question then that we need to answer is not only, “How valuable is my soul?” but “How valuable is my neighbor’s soul?”
Brethren, how long has it been since we spoke to our neighbor about his or her soul? Well, however long that’s been, that’s too long.