Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 12:11

"in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;" — Romans 12:11 (ASV)

Not slothful. The word rendered slothful refers to those who are slow, idle, lacking promptness of mind and activity. .

In business, (th spoudh). This is the same word that, in Romans 12:8, is rendered diligence. It properly denotes haste, intensity, ardour of mind; and therefore, it also denotes industry, labour. The direction means that we should be diligently occupied in our proper employment. It does not refer to any particular occupation but is used in a general sense to denote all the labour that we may have to do, or it is a direction to be faithful and industrious in the discharge of all our appropriate duties. . The tendency of the Christian religion is to promote industry.

1. It teaches the value of time.
2. Presents numerous and important things to be done.
3. It inclines people to be conscientious in improving each moment.
4. And it takes the mind away from those pleasures and pursuits that generate and promote indolence.

The Lord Jesus was constantly employed in fulfilling the great duties of His life, and the effect of His religion has been to promote industry wherever it has spread, both among nations and individuals.

An idle person and a Christian are names that do not harmonize. Every Christian has enough to do to occupy all their time; and anyone whose life is spent in ease and in doing nothing should doubt their religion altogether.

God has assigned us much to accomplish, and He will hold us answerable for its faithful performance. (John 9:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 12).

All that would be necessary to transform the idle, vicious, and wretched into sober and useful people would be to give them the spirit of the Christian religion. (See the example of Paul, Acts 20:34–35).

Fervent. This word is usually applied to water, or to metals so heated as to bubble or boil. It is therefore used to denote ardour, intensity, or, as we express it, a glow—meaning intense zeal (Acts 18:25).

In spirit. In your mind or heart. The expression is used to denote a mind filled with intense ardour in whatever it is engaged. It is supposed that Christians would first find appropriate objects for their labour, and then engage in them with intense ardour and zeal.

Serving. Regard yourselves as the servants of the Lord. This direction is to be understood as connected with the preceding and as growing out of it. You are to be diligent and fervent, and in doing so are to regard yourselves as serving the Lord, or to do it in obedience to the command of God and to promote His glory. The appropriateness of this caution may easily be seen:

1. The tendency of worldly employments is to draw affections away from God.
2. People are prone to forget God when deeply engaged in their worldly employments. It is proper to recall their attention to Him.
3. The right discharge of our duties in the various employments of life is to be regarded as serving God. He has arranged the order of things in this life to promote employment. He has made industry essential to happiness and success; therefore, to be industrious from proper motives is to be regarded as acceptable service to God.
4. He has required that all such employments should be conducted with reference to His will and His honour (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:17, 22-24; 1 Peter 4:11).

The meaning of the whole verse is that Christians should be industrious, should be ardently engaged in some lawful employment, and that they should pursue it with reference to the will of God, in obedience to His commands, and to His glory.