Proverbs 6:9-11

Lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Fridge magnets often contain a lot of wisdom, and laziness is quite a popular theme. With pictures of slumbering cats, I enjoyed the following three: “If I won the award for laziness, I would send someone to pick it up for me”; “For some reason I feel tired tomorrow”; “I’m not lazy, I’m just highly motivated to do nothing.” Laziness is and always has been a common experience. The writer of Proverbs wrote about it on a number of occasions, and clearly feared it. Without the support of a welfare state or a supportive family, a lazy person would starve. It was as simple as that.

The problem with the lazy person is that they never get going with anything. They find their bed too attractive. Later in the book, the writer describes how a lazy person is anchored to their bed. He writes: “As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed” (Proverbs 26:14). They live in a dream world, failing to face up to challenges and yet thinking of themselves as incredibly wise (Proverbs 26:16).

The apostle Paul ran into the problem of laziness in the church in Thessalonica. What was particularly infuriating to Paul was that they gave a spiritual reason for being idle. They were so convinced of the imminent return of Jesus that they gave up their daily work, but Paul would have none of it. True, Jesus might return at any time, but God wants us to be busily engaged in his work. Paul pointed out that he had been working hard day and night in his ministry and was very harsh in his attitude to those who tried to avoid work. He said that those who were unwilling to work should not eat. He also urged the Thessalonian Christians to keep away from idle people because he was so fearful of their influence.

Whether or not laziness is a problem for you, be sure of this: while we have breath, God wants us to work busily for him.

Question

Why is laziness so damaging, and what do you do to avoid it?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you that you have work for me to do. Help me to do it with enthusiasm. Amen