Slacker… Sluggard… Sloth
How about Bum… Lazybones…Loafer…?
These words certainly do not paint a picture of a productive member of society, do they? Our minds don’t immediately latch on to the image of a person who is grabbing life by the horns and living it to the fullest. This is probably not someone we would quickly hire to work for us or promote to a position of influence, is it?
We all have an occasional day that we may feel like a sloth, but I imagine that many of you are such diligent workers that these words seem foreign to you. You may even find yourself on the opposite end of the spectrum, not knowing how to relax at all, or you rarely ever take a break. Think about it, though. Is it considered lazy to loaf around on your day off after a strenuous week of work? Haven’t you earned that? Do you even know how to appreciate a day of rest, and is it wrong?
Understand that there is a stark difference between enjoying deserved relaxation in balance with a lifestyle of hard work and “eating the bread of idleness” as a daily habit and refusing to work or provide for one’s family. These attitudes are poles apart from each other! You are not a bum if you take a day off or sleep in once in a while. On the contrary, it is actually a healthy habit. Workaholics tend to grapple with feelings of guilt any time they take a moment to relax, enjoy themselves, or give in to the body’s natural requirement for sleep. Keep in mind, earned rest is a blessing from God and should be relished! He designed us to need and to enjoy rest in proper balance. That includes a weekly Sabbath rest as well.
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT
You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work… Exodus 20:9, 10a HCBS
Loafing around as a habit, however, is another story! Slothfulness, or an attitude of laziness, is addressed numerous times in Scripture. The Bible has much to say about the dangers of being lazy or idle.
Idle hands make one poor,
but diligent hands bring riches. Proverbs 10:4 HCBS
but diligent hands bring riches. Proverbs 10:4 HCBS
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27 NIV
and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27 NIV
You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest! Proverbs 6:6-11 The Message
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest! Proverbs 6:6-11 The Message
In today’s hectic and high-pressured pace of living, who has time to be lazy even if they wanted to be? However, is it possible that God has something to say even to the workaholics out there about slothfulness? Is there something in God’s Word that speaks even to us busy women about sluggishness?
What is so crucial about this concept is to understand that the true nature of laziness runs much deeper than what we do or don’t do. It is actually an attitude of the heart and a condition of one’s character more than it is merely a lack of keeping busy. Busyness and fruitfulness are not necessarily synonymous. As a matter of fact, it is possible to work double the hours of a typical work week and still maintain a slack attitude and continue to be unproductive.
Let us examine ourselves for a moment. How do you approach your work? What is the quality of your work? Are you repulsed by the idea of exerting yourself, or are you content with doing only the minimum? Are you regularly on time? Do you pay attention to details? Are you neat and organized? Do you finish what you start? Do you keep your word?
Here is the crux: Do you do all that you need to do with all your heart, with consistent effort and enthusiasm, and to your best ability? Are you committed to excellence in your work as well as in every other area of your life?
This ethic does not merely apply to one’s occupation, but it is a pervasive attitude that carries over into all of life. Slothfulness reveals itself in our homes, cars, finances, physical health and appearance, spiritual lives, relationships, parenting, etc. Procrastination is one of its best friends, and making excuses is a close cousin. Lack of confidence and lack of energy are its colleagues.
I almost gave specific examples here, but I decided to cut them out. You don’t need me to step on your toes. If you are like me, you are probably beating yourself up enough as it is. We would all do well to examine ourselves, our motives, our habits, our environment, and our quality of work, and search for signs of apathy or lethargy. Let us bring it before the Lord and allow Him to transform our attitudes and our character so that in all things we will bring Him glory.
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:11 NLT
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might… Ecclesiastes 9:10a NIV
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23 NIV
The solution? Commit to the two “D’s.”
Diligence and Discipline
Determine to make diligence a habit in every area of your life, and do not allow yourself to settle for less than excellence.
Definition of diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.
Discipline, on the other hand, is to train ourselves, to reform our habits, and to take control of our appetites so that we will consistently choose what is excellent and beneficial, whether we feel like it or not. Initially, discipline can be a real pain, but it is definitely worth it because of what it produces in our lives. Do no say that you cannot overcome the lack of discipline in your life because self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. You have Him living inside of you, and therefore, you do have all that you need to conquer your habits. He will help you. (Galatians 5:22-23)
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Romans 12:11 NIV
Definition of discipline: behavior and order maintained by training and control; activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.
When I see the unpacked boxes in my garage, the extra pounds as I step on the scale, the weeds overtaking my flower bed, and the inconsistency with my blog writing, I have to admit that I have not mastered the virtues of diligence and discipline in my life. I am far from it! However, I know I am a work in progress.
God has promised that when we confess our shortcoming, He will forgive us and cleanse us. (1John 1:9) We can ask God to examine our hearts and show us anything that needs to be changed. He will then lead us in the right direction. (Psalm 139:23-24) You can trust Him to help you when you ask Him and to not leave you hanging.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT
For an excellent article to help you understand what causes us to procrastinate and lack diligence in our lives, see my post “Fulfilling Your Unfulfilled Dreams.” I explain the five main areas that keep us from moving forward, and I offer tools to help turn it around. Once we learn the source of what causes us to slack, we can overcome the habit.
Happy reading and God bless!
Shari Lewis
