I confess that I am prone to laziness. Sometimes at work I resist engaging my mind and focusing on what is important. At home, it’s often easier to flip on SportsCenter than spend time with my family or get some physical exercise.
The book of Proverbs paints a picture of a lazy man:
I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds and the stone wall was in ruins. (Proverbs 24:30-31).
The fruit of this man’s labor was, literally, being choked by weeds. Through sheer laziness, he had shirked his duty for providing and protecting. He was wasting his provision.
Am I providing and protecting for my family?
Am I being a good steward of all that has been provided to me?
We seem to live in an era of shortcuts – a time when people expect the fruits without the labor.
- Get-rich-quick schemes
- Magic diet pills
- Cliff’s notes and crash courses
These shortcuts all promise the end result without the hard work.
The wisdom of Proverbs debunks this view. The passage above goes on to warn:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:33-34)
The Apostle Paul understood this. In yesterday’s reading, Paul gave us a glimpse of his perspective on work. He reminds the Thessalonians:
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. (1 Thessalonians 2:9)
If Paul sees the need to work hard to support himself despite his direct calling from God to preach to the Gentiles, then what excuse could I possibly have for not busting my rear end?
Lord God,
I praise you and thank you for the one and only “get-rich-quick” scheme that truly works – salvation through your son, Jesus Christ. By the mere act of belief in Him and what he has done for me, I am saved from the penalty of my sin. I confess that sometimes I don’t work as hard as I should in appreciation for what Christ has done for me. I sometimes waste my gifts rather than use them to your glory. It is my desire to serve you more. Amen.
Greg (gmd40187)
Sixty-six books in a year 