Proverbs 24
Proverbs 24
In verses 30-34, Solomon gives us an illustration of a lazy person. This lazy person had let their vineyard be overgrown with thorns and weeds. The walls of the vineyard were broken, allowing anyone or anything to come and take from the vineyard. Solomon ends by telling us that poverty comes to such a person.
And we can understand the principle that Solomon is applying here (especially in a business setting). My question though: What does the Bible say about laziness? (I do want to be clear though: I am not talking to someone who may have a medical condition causing them to be tired, weary, etc.)
1. We are expected to work (Genesis 2:15)
2. We are expected to work heartily (Colossians 3:23, Ecclesiastes 9:10)
3. Laziness is often a compound sin (David and Bathsheba)
There is much more that can be said about this topic, but I wanted to give these three quick ideas from Scripture.
Laziness is a sneaky sin that can capture is quickly. And it’s difficult to discern between rest and laziness. God calls us to rest; He does not call us to be lazy. Be watchful for lazy tendencies in your life and ask God to give you the strength and endurance to overcome them.
By: Brice Stockton
In verses 30-34, Solomon gives us an illustration of a lazy person. This lazy person had let their vineyard be overgrown with thorns and weeds. The walls of the vineyard were broken, allowing anyone or anything to come and take from the vineyard. Solomon ends by telling us that poverty comes to such a person.
And we can understand the principle that Solomon is applying here (especially in a business setting). My question though: What does the Bible say about laziness? (I do want to be clear though: I am not talking to someone who may have a medical condition causing them to be tired, weary, etc.)
1. We are expected to work (Genesis 2:15)
- God created us to work. Man was working before sin came into the world. John Piper said, “Work is not a curse; frustrating work is a curse.”
2. We are expected to work heartily (Colossians 3:23, Ecclesiastes 9:10)
- Work is to be done with the right mindset, heart, and ethic.
3. Laziness is often a compound sin (David and Bathsheba)
- This is something we talked about at Discovery Weekend for students.
- If you read the story of David and Bathsheba, David was supposed to be out at war (but he wasn’t). He got off his couch one day, saw Bathsheba, and then committed adultery.
- If David had been doing what he was supposed to, he might not have fallen into that sin.
- Laziness does not always lead to more sin, but it can. For example, I think this is where many people fall into pornography struggles. They find themselves alone, looking at their phone/laptop, and with nothing else to do.
- It can be the root for some sin struggles.
There is much more that can be said about this topic, but I wanted to give these three quick ideas from Scripture.
Laziness is a sneaky sin that can capture is quickly. And it’s difficult to discern between rest and laziness. God calls us to rest; He does not call us to be lazy. Be watchful for lazy tendencies in your life and ask God to give you the strength and endurance to overcome them.
By: Brice Stockton
4 Comments
Good word, Brice. I like how you identify the difference between laziness and legitimate rest. I believe one key to preventing laziness after we get our needed rest, is to have a plan of what needs to be done and how we are going to accomplish that plan. When we have goals set, accomplishing those goals is easier to do when we have decided what our next step will be. For me, this helps me to get up off the couch and not give in to laziness.
Thank you for this exhortation, Brice! I think it's so important, and even for those of us with a disability of some kind - we may not be able to to work a difficult manual job; or we may not be able to work any job on top of all our other duties like wife/mom/homemaker/backup-health-aide(ish); but we can all do something, and we are all in danger of giving in to laziness. And as you and the Puritans have said, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." I have plenty of "work" to do for the family and/or around the house; and sometimes I do need some rest/relaxation when the kids are finally asleep ... but I do still sometimes have to remind myself to stop playing crosswords on my phone so I can do what needs doing, lol.
And I remember back in the early days after my Oct '12 accident - I was bedridden and was in my right mind but could hardly do ANYTHING; and I was taking a medicine that'd helped wake me up from the four-month semi-coma, but that same medicine was making me at least feel like I was awake all night (it was like that for weeks). During that time God gave me the idea to post on Facebook asking for my friends' prayer requests, to give me something to do in those long nights of laying in my bed awake. I guess I'm just saying that one person's struggle between laziness & industry might look different from the next person's, but we all need this reminder to work hard in whatever way God leads us. I know there are times I need this reminder! 😉
Yes! So true Naomi! We love you!
Good word Brice!!!