October 26 - A Picture of Laziness
The Book of Proverbs gives a very accurate description of the sluggard, slothful or lazy person. We often meet people that are under motivated, with very little incentive to do anything and not able to take any kind of responsibility. They are difficult to work with, not only that they do not do their part, they also have the tendency to blame others. The root to their subpar performance is because of their laziness. Here, four different characteristics of the sluggard are given.
First of all, a lazy person has a lot of excuses for not going out or doing anything. The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!” The lion he refers to may be some difficulties, hindrances or danger that he perceives. It could be a real or an imaginary lion. Not wanting to go out, he gives the reason for his own inaction. A diligent person would find a way to overcome the difficulty, like hunting down the lion or removing the danger in the way. Next time when you give yourself an excuse for not doing anything, stand up to the challenge. Do not let any hindrance prevent you from fulfilling your responsibility.
Secondly, the sluggard loves comfort of the bed. “As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.” This humorous figure of speech is most fitting about the love of comfort paralyzing a person. He is like stuck and pinned to his bed, losing his freedom and mobility. The love of the world, the love of good things, the focus on enjoyment of all kinds can bring a person into inactivity. A person who wants to be entertained all the time is one who goes nowhere. This is a sign of self-centeredness and the feeding of the flesh is the major reason for laziness.
Thirdly, a lazy person is even tired of doing his everyday routine, like eating. “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.” There are things no one loves to do but have to do, like brushing one’s teeth or bathing one’s body. Cooking and eating our meals are essential for survival but if these routines become laborious to you, you have gone into a pattern of self-destruction. Tiredness in doing what one must do is the sign of laziness and a lack of self-control. The desire to give up doing the right things can have devastating results.
Finally, the lazy person is very subjective, thinking that he is right and others are wrong. “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” This kind of thinking could keep a sluggard sluggish for the rest of his life. The unwillingness to change or to face oneself is not pride but stupidity. Do you think you have any of those four traits? If so, ask the Lord for forgiveness and begin doing the opposite. Get out of laziness and be engaged for the Kingdom.
Ps 119:33-40 Jer 49:23-50:46 Tit 1:1-16 Prov 26:13-16