Saturday, August 18, 2012

Laziness


LAZINESS

Some look on it with disdain and contempt, while others are flat-out disgusted with it. Some make it a work of art of sorts in the U.S.A., doing a balancing act between living off unemployment checks and actually working until they again qualify, then getting fired so they can slack off and collect unemployment again. This is the physically lazy, but there's another laziness; spiritual laziness. They warm a pew, but don't want to demonstrate the Christian works expected of them. Let's look at observations concerning sluggards...

Most of the bible's citations of laziness comes from the book of proverbs. Perhaps Solomon noted some in his kingdom, or maybe not, but he certainly was inspired to write plenty about the sinful lifestyle. He even contrasted them with the lifestyle of the ant! "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." (Prov. 6:6 - 8) Here we see the ant is the opposite of the sluggard. Mr. or Ms. lazibones will only do the minimal to survive. I observed one lazibones who was offered an opportunity to get his taxes returns up to date. Did he take advantage of an industrious person offering him a hand up? Nah! So long as the IRS wasn't after him, he wouldn't budge. Then there's the time one was offered an opportunity to get out of a long legal indebtedness, and would he take up the offer? No! Since he was not made very uncomfortable in any way to the point of action, he has what appears to be a lifelong debt. A lazy person will not do any long range planning to be satisfied in the wisdom of it later. The same fool will look for someone industrious to lift them up in time of need, particularly a relative whom they can use the very fact of blood connection for a reason to press for help by a need brought on by their lifestyle.

Now remember I earlier wrote it was a sinful lifestyle? It gives rise to covetousness! "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not." (Prov. 21:25 - 26) A lazy person doesn't want to lift a finger to achieve any desires, attainable or not, yet they still desire! They are diehard procrastinators, wanting nothing more than to sit back and allow everything to be handed to them. While a reality check would tell them the world doesn't work that way, still they desire to "hit it big" some day, some way, and in the meantime, they covet what the industrious person has. The coveting is what is sinful, but they lack initiative to get up and work for what they covet, and then the sin would be eliminated. On a spiritual level, this is the one who warms the pew, but will open their bible some day to read it, or will go doorknocking with their pastor some day, or will volunteer to do even as little as greeting people when they enter church. Asking them to pray for someone is like asking them to have a root canal for their bad tooth.

We all know there is no such thing as a rich sluggard, and if peradventure they did come into money, they wouldn't have it long. The root of their poverty is mentioned in proverbs, also: "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread." (Prov. 20:13) That's right, the lazy one can't get enough of sleep! This is the reason they can't earn their bread. Who will hire someone who can't make it to work on time because they took too long to get out of bed? Or who will keep someone on who doesn't get their work done on time because they snoozed after lunch, or didn't feel like hustling to win over a client?

So what else can be the personal problem of a sluggard? Pride. They are conceited with their position, and as I wrote earlier, they will not respond even when they receive a reality check. "The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason." (Prov. 26:16) Remember I also wrote earlier they are fools. When they receive criticism, correction, or advice concerning their situation, they don't want to hear it. In one ear, and out the other, and in their foolishness, they actually believe YOU are the fool for giving them your obviously unwanted insight. Yet, at the same time, they want your pity and assistance so they can continue to be enabled to be lazy. Sticking to folly is wise in their eyes, but giving ear to the industrious in their eyes is foolish annoyance.

So what is another M.O. (method of operation) of the sluggard? Excuses. "The slothful man saith, 'There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.'" (Prov. 22:13) Some of the excuses are unrealistic, and don't have substance, like the bible example here. Even if there were no past lion attacks, the sluggard may use it to get out of even leaving the house to do anything industrious! Other times, the hazard is honestly there, but so is the consequence for not being industrious; "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing." (Prov. 20:4) Here in America, many lazy men and women stand outside on an off ramp, begging for money with a sign. Oh, some of them honestly are down on their fortune, but too many are there for the quick, taxfree fix. It's too easy to stand or sit there and have their hand out. Now let's look at the spiritual side of excuses. Is anyone exempt from the great commission? "
'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' Amen." (Matt. 28:19 - 20) And who did Paul say was excused from doing good? "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Gal. 6:10) If a lazy person will not be of any service to their family in Christ for the sake of laziness, how will their fruits be seen, except that they be seen for their lack of it? Even in private for the Lord, the lazy person will not pray, nor study scripture. The spiritually lazy will not even take up a pen and paper to take note of the pastor's message in church!

So what are the consequences of laziness? First, they are impoverished by it. "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." (Prov. 19:15) No work, no money, simple as that. Secondly, though, and more importantly, some will be spiritually poor, if not bankrupt! "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." (2 John 1:8) The farther from laziness, the more rewards! Also, "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Cor. 3:12 - 15) Quality works bring quality rewards, but the sluggard, what little shall that one receive, if they do naught to start with? marvelous for them that they should be saved as by fire! Truly, we need strive and not procrastinate, that we might have rewards in heaven; the sluggard is a master procrastinator, and nothing or little will be their treasure in heaven! I think maybe I need explain a little further. "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." (John 4:35 - 38) The world is our mission field, harvest who is not saved, that you might have reward. Now be not discouraged if one you witness to does not find Christ as their Savior with you, for the Holy Spirit may allow another to reap that soul later, and then you and they who reaped may rejoice together in reward. But what reward is there for the sluggard, who only comes to warm the pew week after week? If the pastor preaches the great commission, and the sluggard hears it, but does nothing, maybe even doesn't remember it through the week, or even the month, their reward will be as great as their memory! Now what kind of child of God is this to Him? "He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame." (Prov. 10:5)

Another consequence for the lazy person is that the lifestyle is problematic for them and for those who have to interact with them. "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain." (Prov. 15:19)What this means is that the lazy person will not put their life in order. Everything is happenstance and willy-nilly. The floors of their house are cluttered with debris of perhaps children's toys and maybe some "toys" of their own, and some may even be broken or not in working order! They only work enough to get welfare or whatever paperwork they need to fill out to survive, and they will never succeed in life, so there is no order to what goes on from day to day, except what they have to do to make ends meet, but not further themselves. They at times find it maddening that they can't just have wealth fall into their hands, spiritually or materially. Nobody is going to come up to you and say they will believe if you talk to them about Jesus. That would be too easy, but also just what the sluggard wants.

Finally, the lazy person is avoided for their reputation. "As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him." (Prov. 10:26) Truly, if you have any number of these in the family, you are not likely to have them on speed dial! You ask them to do something, and the propensity they will accomplish it in a timely manner is at long shot odds. At times they will prove a leech to the industrious, especially if you're related. And what of the slothful one in their spiritual condition? "His lord answered and said unto him, '
Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 25:26 - 30) Well, it seems here the slothful one whose seat warmed a pew will get their seat warmed to a multiplication they did not expect nor want! If they did absolutely nothing for the Lord, He will know, and their lack of demonstration will be His judgment!

So let us pray for the sluggard; they may be a lost soul that never sees ambition. If you were one at one time, you'd surely have empathy. No good comes of it. Perhaps they need their lifestyle consequences explained to them. We could use what's written here, yes? Maybe the frustration they give us one day will drive us to tell them of this; perhaps we've been lazy regarding this person we know described herein? God bless your sowing!

1 comment:

  1. *** (Matthew 13:12) For whoever has, to him shall be given; and he shall have more abundance. But whoever does not have; from him shall be taken away; even that which he has.
    “Losing ‘what’ you have – 101”…Blog.
    http://truth459.blogspot.com/2011/02/losing-what-you-have-101blog.html

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