What's Wrong With Being Tardy?
Doug Smith, Montgomery, AL

Our congregation is presently· grappling with a widespread brotherhood problem - tardiness. A brother who serves us an usher in a church of a thousand members recently made the comment, "If we were to lock the doors at 7:00 (the worship hour), one third would be inside and two thirds would be outside." Since it appears to be such a prevalent problem, let's ask the question: "What's wrong with being tardy?"

(1) It is disruptive. One high school teacher recently stated that when the bell rang, one student was in the classroom. It was not until twenty minutes later that the last of the eight students finally arrived. How can effective teaching take place in such a setting? This is magnified many times further when the teacher is late which does not allow those who are waiting with their small children to be on time for their classes. It is also common to find pockets of people talking in the halls even after Bible Classes have begun.

(2) It indicates wrong priorities. How many of us would be late responding to a dinner invitation to the White House? How often do we allow our children to be tardy at school? Or at ball games in which they are playing? How would it go over with your husband or wife tor you to have be late for your wedding? Are you late to work (in which case you may be docked)? The point is we are on time to the events or occasions which are important to us. Since corporate worship and Bible Study should be among the most important times of our week, shouldn't we be on time?

(3) It is just plain sloppy. Being tardy falls in the same category with the unprepared Bible class lesson or the unfulfilled cleaning assignment. It is demoralizing to those who are on time. Being tardy is just not consistent with the urgency of discipleship under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Being on time costs something. In the long ago it was David who said, "I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing" (2 Samuel 24:24). It takes effort to be punctual. It was the Preacher of Ecclesiastes who admonished, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). As the hymn puts it, "Give your best to the Master." Let's all make the commitment and put forth the effort to be on time for every occasion of the work and worship of the church.