Overcoming The Challenge Of Laziness
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greeting…
Good evening, it is so good to be with you all here tonight.
I’m thankful for this opportunity to be here with everyone once again and preach God’s saving message.
Tonight, my topic is “Overcoming The Challenge Of Laziness.”
In early 2021 a study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research discovered that 3.8 million young people were unemployed but not attending school or vocational training.
This finding was up by 740,000 over the previous year and was attributed mostly to the fact that most were given a the stimulus checks.
As Isa Cox, wrote on this issue in The Western Journal, “Gee, so it’s going to take more than government handouts to inspire young people to get off their entitled rears and do something with their lives? Who would have thunk it?”
This reality that young people are not “self-motivated” but must be taught, trained, and cultivated into proactive workers is nothing new as Solomon pointed out in Proverbs 22:15.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
You might ask yourself, “what does this have to do with me, or Christianity, after all I am not lazy, I work hard, I do what I’m supposed to do.”
The answer to this is multifaceted but we can basically brake it down into a few simple biblical truths.
First, to be good stewards of what God has given us means it’s not biblically sound to financially help the lazy and sluggard (1 Corinthians 4:2).
We all know the ones that continually rely on others to take care of them even though they are completely capable of taking care of themselves.
Second, if faithful and zealous ourselves for God we will be teachers of God’s word and we will teach the lost but according to that statistic some whom we teach will be lazy and it is our responsibility to train them into zealous and hard working Christians (2 Timothy 2:2).
A babe in Christ is going to the faithfully strong to train them out of their weaknesses (Romans 15:1-2).
Third, no one here has always had a 100% up time in their zeal for God and daily living.
We are lying to ourselves if we say such and you know how God feels about lies (Revelation 21:8).
So, how do we both help ourselves or help others “Over Come The Challenge Of Laziness?”
First, by…
Changing Our Mindset
Changing Our Mindset
Adjusting Our Attitude.
Adjusting Our Attitude.
Most of the time laziness is has some sort of underlying issue.
It might be something as simple as “never taught” the value of hard work.
As I just mentioned there is a whole generation growing up not being taught this value.
It might be as emotionally complicated as having gone through a tragedy.
When we unexpectedly lost my mom last year it was hard to “get back to the daily grind” of life.
It might simply be as simple as realizing you are needing to do something you don’t like and therefore “unmotivated.”
I know I often procrastinate those things I don’t like to do.
So the question remains…
How Do We Adjust Our Attitude?
How Do We Adjust Our Attitude?
First, we diagnose the reason for our sluggishness, as we can’t fix what we don’t know.
As humans we often find ourselves in perplexing situations that bring us down and demotivate us.
David became a shell of himself after his sins but was once again motivated to righteousness after he figured out the problem.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
Samson’s sin led him to humiliation and being a slave yet after he understood his sin problem he sought God and is accounted as one of the “great men of faith.”
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
After determining the problem what is next to adjusting our attitude.
Secondly, we fill our mind with positive things and meditate upon them.
We must stop being so focused on the problem and redirect our thoughts to more positive things.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
We must set our mind on those things from above not below.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
We cannot “change our mindset” and “adjust our attitude” if we are constantly focused on the negative.
What do we need to do next to change our mindset?
Third, we determine which of the three possible solutions will be best for our problem.
Go Over It: This means we rise above the issue because we cannot stop the issue at hand.
Jesus could not stop the Jewish leaders from questioning him, trying to trap him, or even trying to kill him so more often than not he rose above the problem.
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
Go Under It: This means we move ourselves away from the problem.
Paul told Timothy to take this very solution when it came to youthful lusts.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Jesus hid himself from the mob that was trying to kill him.
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Go Through It: This means we do what is required to eliminate the problem we are having.
Paul did this very thing when Peter was a hindrance to the gospel for the Gentiles.
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
Summary
Summary
How do we adjust our attitudes?
First we diagnose the problem.
Second, we fill and set our minds on things from above.
Third, we determine which of the three solutions is most appropriate for our problem.
It’s only when these three things are met that one can emotionally move from sluggard to zealous.
Zeal is an “excited fervor to do something or accomplish some end.”
The whole point of what we just talked about it so get our mind right so that it is “ready” to…
Get Up & Get Going
Get Up & Get Going
Create Goals.
Create Goals.
A lack of proper goals is a breeding ground for losing zeal.
God created us as goal oriented people, just look at how God tells the sluggard to learn from the ant.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
For the one struggling with laziness begin with small and easily attainable goals for the day.
If you are trying to get the house clean this week, set a goal of cleaning “one room” each day.
Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to do too much at first.
If you are trying to get better at studying your bible, start with creating a simple reading plan.
Reading a paragraph and meditating upon it is better than reading nothing and meditating on nothing new each day.
The point is create goals that you can visually see and which motivate you.
Once you have your goals set and are motivation ready…
Act On That New Zeal.
Act On That New Zeal.
I cannot stress this enough, at some point it doesn’t matter how many goals you have set or how easily attainable they are if you don’t get up and get going it is all for not.
One of the worse things a person struggling with laziness can do is “ignore their new zeal” and “put off their goals until later.”
It will never get easier to “get up and get going” the next day!!!
Here is where we need to hear from God on what he thinks of the sluggard and lazy person.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
This is why God has always said his people we need to not only work but be “hard workers.”
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Summary
Summary
As Christians we are to work so as not to be dependent on anyone.
Does that mean there won’t be circumstances that change this or makes this not possible?
Sure, but “if it is up to us” we are to hard workers.
Christians are to be the “hardest workers” both secularly speaking and spiritually speaking.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We will end with this, what if you don’t like your job or don’t like your boss or some of your coworkers?
Does that give you a right to not be the hardest working person in the building…NO!!!
22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.