“They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”. Song of Solomon 1:6
Do you think it is possible that we can become so caught up in doing things for other people that we neglect our own lives? Let me be a little more personal. Can we become so caught up in looking after others, that our relationship with God and our relationship with our own family suffers from neglect? The Bible says in Song of Solomon 1:6 (KJV), “They have made me the keeper of vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”.
Let’s be honest here for a minute. People who have conviction and take responsibility for others, more often than we would like to admit, get too busy caring for everyone else and can end up neglecting their own lives.
If we are not careful we can end up buried in everyone’s “situations” like the guy in Proverbs 24 – “The vineyard ….I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. “
No one wants to be in that situation.
STAYING FREE FROM THE BARRENNESS OF THE BUSY LIFE:
1. Get rid of the WEEDS by planting some SEEDS.
2. Rebuild the WALL with some BOUNDARIES .
3. CULTIVATE the fruit and enjoy some of it YOURSELF.
Here is a classic closing scripture to let you know just how easy it can happen.
1 Corinthians 9:27 tells it like this. – Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Amazing isn’t it? Even some spiritual heavy hitters realized the importance of keeping it all in order.
Just one more short illustration from a spiritual giant. I love the story Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village who walk by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies.” A frothy question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes–whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. Growth takes time and effort…
Don’t neglect your own vineyard while taking care of everyone else.
“They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”. Song of Solomon 1:6
stevelummer.com 
Amen, Amen. A home run pastor.
However i am still concernd for people who do’t have enought to eat. No matter if I know them or not.
Like a glove this is a perfect fit for today.
Saundra
What a profound Scripture for those of us who have been
Ministering for some time. We tend to become so enveloped in the constant cries that come from all parts each day, that many times we wear ourselves out to the bone. We must always remember that our sins were taken away, not our senses. While tending to the vineyards of others, let us not neglect our very own vineyard – our spouses, children, parents and ourselves Do not let our zeal cause us to loose our ‘wheel.’