"Dilly Dally"

"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" Isaiah 58:7


In the movie, "Gone With the Wind", there was a scene where Melanie was in labor and it looked like Scarlett was going to have to deliver the baby. Scarlet sent her maid Prissy to go get the doctor. After a long period of time Scarlett wondered why Prissy wasn't back yet and why the doctor hadn't come. Scarlett heard something and looked out the window. There was Prissy, casually strolling around outside singing to herself as if she didn't have a care in the world. When Scarlett asked her where the doctor was she informed her that the doctor wasn't coming.

I brought this scene from the movie up because the Lord spoke it to my heart during prayer this morning. He let me know that too many Christians are "dilly-dallying" around. To "dilly-dally" means to: postpone doing what one should be doing; to drag one's feet, to procrastinate; spend time idly, loaf. He explained the scene from the movie to me in spiritual terms. While Melanie was in labor, at the threshold of giving birth, in a crucial and important place in her life, Prissy was unconcerned, uninterested and ignoring the situation.

He let me know that this is where most of the church is- dilly-dallying. While we should be involved in the work of the kingdom we are dragging our feet and taking our own sweet time about doing anything. While we should be helping in the process of seeing new souls birthed into the kingdom, we are busy with other things. We are procrastinating doing the things that we should be doing to reach the lost, to minister to the hurting, to lift up the downcast, to make Christ known to others. We are acting as if the needs that are around us are not very important and instead we are going along nonchalantly about our own business. We spend our time idly on worthless things while all around us "labor" is taking place in the lives of our family, friends and co-workers. They are hurting, they are crying in pain, they are facing transition. People are torn between surrendering their lives to Christ or remaining lost in their sins. People are needing to know that they are not alone, they need someone to help show them the way, they need to know that someone cares and someone loves them.

One of the most famous lines in the whole "Gone With the Wind" movie came from Prissy during the scene I described for you above. "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies." We may not always know what to do to reach out, or how to do it, but we will never do it if we don't get in the position where whether we know what we are doing or not, we know that we have a commission and commandment to fulfill. And we need to stop "dilly-dallying" around and get busy fulfilling our call so that those who are in pain, those who are hurting and those who are crying out for help can find what they need through Jesus as we point them to Him.

Have a great day. Are you dilly-dallying? Or are you about the kingdom's business?

For further reading:
John 9:4
Proverbs 18:9
Romans 12:10,11
James 2:15,16