Sloth

Sloths are animals that are well known for not doing much. Their name literally means, ‘slow feet’, which makes perfect sense because they are the world’s slowest animal. They live in trees most of their life and don’t move around much, and only leave their tree to go to the bathroom (defecate) once a week.

This is the same idea that the Bible uses when it calls sloth a sin. It is a sin that has been around for a long time, The Bible puts it this way, “Through slothfulness the roof deteriorates, and a house leaks because of idleness.,” (Ecc. 10:18) “As the door turns upon his hinges, so does the slothful upon his bed,” (Pro. 26:14) And lastly “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven wise men,” (Pro. 26:16).

Sloth is a sin of omission, of not doing something or willing to exert oneself and avoids moving toward the good that God has ordered us. A few examples that Peter Kreeft gives are: “not jumping into a pool to save a baby from drowning. Not getting out of our warm, comfortable bed on a cold morning to go to Church, Or not inquiring of God what He wants you to do. Or not inquiring whether or not God even exists.”

Sloth is a greater problem in our more advanced, complex, culture than in Bible times. Sloth reigns in our world even as we are over programmed and scheduled, which has reduced our leisure and free-time which is necessary to seek the ways of God. This seems like a paradox, as being busy, having a full schedule and doing things seems the opposite of being full of sloth. Sloth, especially in Biblical language, is more than just being a lazy person who doesn’t physically work. (It can be a lazy person who does not get out of bed to work, but slothfulness goes deeper than that). F.P. Harton says, “For a person can be very active externally and at the same time extremely slothful in spirit.” (The Elements of the Spiritual Life).

There are four areas (maybe more) of in which one can be slothful:

1) Bodily sloth, which is obvious… not working or getting up to do physical work that needs to get done. Not working or holding a job to provide for your family just because you don’t want to.

2) There is intellectual sloth where people do not take the time to think. Where opinions are more popular that fact. In our culture we see it that most people’s opinions are based on hearsay or popular opinion… especially about Christianity.

a. This form of sloth is produced from our cultures emphasis and the need to be entertained… through social media, youtube, movies etc.

b. Our culture does not think or reason as much… for a culture is only as deep and intelligent about real problems from where it gets its information

c. If we are fine with 30 sec sound bites then that is how deep we are

3) Moral sloth is the idea that one does not face moral decisions but desires to take the path of least resistance. This is true of our relativistic culture which does not want any moral decisions and blurs the lines of all ethical choices.

a. For Christians it is avoiding the moral choices that God has set up and standing for God’s truth. They excuse themselves from taking Christian ethics a part of life and something to stand firm upon

b. They are willing to give into the cultures view of sexuality… standing with the culture on its view of homosexuality, marriage, divorce, sex, pornography and more instead of seeing God’s purpose for the family

c. Sex has become a substitute for God… as one lacks God’s joy they seek to fill it and our culture is trying to do so through sex

d. We don’t want to stand for truth and potentially cause waves… but that is moral sloth

e. Under this area a slothful person will never face a final, moral, issue if they can help it, because it is too uncomfortable for them

4) The last, and worst is spiritual. It is one becomes lazy to the ways of God and is deeper than just not taking a moral stand for God. This takes the spiritual life and sets it adrift(continued)