LESSON 6 Leaving Laziness
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LESSON 6 Leaving Laziness Pro. 6: 6 - 11
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.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, And thy want as an armed man.
In this lesson we are going to talk about leaving laziness. In the King James Version, the word for “lazy” is “slothful.” A sloth is a slow-moving, tree-dwelling mammal that hangs, with back down, from branches and feeds on fruit and vegetation. The sloth is so lazy it hangs by its claws for days at a time. It does nothing but eat and sleep, so it is considered the laziest of all creatures.
The bible sometimes uses the word “sluggard,” which also means lazy. Do you know a “human” sloth, a really lazy person? You may be surprised at who is truly lazy because slothfulness or laziness is selective. We can all be lazy in certain areas of our lives—usually the most important areas. We can be workaholics and still be lazy. In this lesson we are going to look at the cost of laziness and the cure for laziness.
The Cost of Laziness
1. Laziness spoils relationships. Laziness is most often seen in our neglect of other people. One of the best examples of the cost of laziness occurs just hours before Jesus was crucified. After the Last Supper, Jesus takes His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. I have been there. It is a beautiful garden—a great place to meditate and pray. That’s why Jesus went there. He leaves most of the disciples at the gate and tells them: “Sit here while I go over there and pray” (Mt 26:36b). Then, He takes Peter, Jam es, and John with Him deeper into the garden. These men were His inner circle, His closest disciples. Jesus tells them: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mt 26:38a). What else does He tell them (Matthew 26:38b)?
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
More than any other time in His life, Jesus needs the support, love, and prayers of His three closest friends. Of all the people on earth, surely He can count on Peter, James, and John. But what happens? When Jesus returns, He finds all three asleep! Then, what does He ask Peter in Matthew 26:40b?
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Can you hear the hurt and disappointment in Jesus’ question? Just when He needs them most, they are too tired and lazy to watch … for one hour.
Let’s apply this to our lives. Have you ever come home really tired after a hard day’s work or a tough time at your job? Your spouse and kids are waiting for you to express your love for them. You have the opportunity to give your kids a hug and listen to what they have been anxiously waiting to tell you about their day, which to them is just as important as your day is to you. You also have an opportunity to express your love and appreciation to your spouse in front of your kids. But you are just too tired.
After supper you collapse in your favorite chair with the newspaper or tum on the TV for the rest of the evening. You miss the opportunity to play with your kids, maybe help them with their homework, and pray with them before they go to bed.
Those opportunities to express your love are gone for all eternity. You didn’t miss those opportunities because you are a mean person or because you don’t care about your family, but because you are too lazy to do the important things when you are tired. This is the story of most workaholics. They get everything done at work, even when they are tired, but when they get home to their spouses and kids, they are too tired and lazy to take part in the really important things in life. Most of the important things in life are done by people when they are tired, but who refuse to be lazy. How does Proverbs 15:19 express this truth?
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: But the way of the righteous is made plain.
This means lazy people always have excuses, or thorns, that prevent them from doing what they should, but the upright get things done. Most marriage problems are the result of laziness because marriage is mostly just plain hard work, and one or both marriage partners are too lazy to make the necessary effort. Laziness is also often the culprit in parental problems because parents are often just too lazy to listen, help with homework, or get involved in their children’s lives. In family relationships we especially need to remember what principle found in Proverbs 20:4?
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; Therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
If we don’t plow in season, when we have opportunity, the day will come when we will look at our relationships and find nothing.
Many parents say, “Well, when things slow down at work, I will have more time for my kids.” Parents, let me tell you from experience—that time never comes. In all our relationships we need to remember what principle explained in Proverbs 12:27?
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: But the substance of a diligent man is precious.
Lazy people don’t take care of their possessions because they don’t value what they have, but a diligent person values and takes care of his possessions. The most important things in our lives are our relationships, but laziness spoils them. This is true not only in our human relationships but our relationship with the Lord as well. Most Christians don’t have the close relationship with the Lord they should because they are just too lazy to be faithful in Bible study, worship services, reading their Bible, praying, etc. Laziness spoils relationships.
2. Laziness stifles good intentions. How does Jesus express this fact in Matthew 26:41b?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Because the body is weak, our good intentions are often nullified. Have you ever wanted to lose weight? Did you lose weight with just good intentions? If we want to get in better physical or spiritual shape, enrich our marriages, or improve our relationships with our kids, we need more than good intentions. Nothing will improve until we put forth the effort and make the necessary changes. How does Proverbs 13:4 remind us of this?
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
This means the desires of a lazy person are not fulfilled because he or she is not willing to put forth the necessary effort. We are a nation of “couch potatoes.” We are a generation of people who want everything to be easy, but the most important things in life don’t come easily; they take a lot of hard work. What is the cost of laziness? It spoils relationships and stifles good intentions. Now, let’s look at …
The Cure for Laziness
1. Spotlight areas of laziness. Your laziness may be found in your family relationships, your relationship with God, your money management, etc. Spotlighting areas of laziness may require praying what prayer of Job in Job 6:24?
2. Seek God’s forgiveness. Honestly confess laziness as the sin it is. Ask God to forgive you for all the opportunities you have squandered. You must confess the sin of laziness because of what truth in Proverbs 28:13a?
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
3. Select only one area. Choose just one area of your life in which you are lazy because you can only adequately work on one area at a time. Work on that one area every day for twenty days; that’s how long it takes to make a permanent change.
4. Start doing better today. Not next month, not next week, not tomorrow. Procrastination will only allow time for things to get worse. “One of these days” really means “none of these days.” We are always going to make changes “tomorrow.” However, what does Proverbs 27:1 tell us?
Boast not thyself of to morrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Don’t wait for a better time. We often try to cover up our laziness by saying we are waiting for a better opportunity. The person who really wants to change finds a way, but the person who doesn’t really want to change always finds an excuse. How does Proverbs 22:13 express this truth?
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
This means a lazy person is full of excuses. We are all good at making excuses. Benjamin Franklin said: “People who are good at making excuses are rarely good at anything else.” About what have you been making excuses? A good way to find out is to fill in the following blank: “One of these days I’m gonna ________________________________________.” However, what does Ecclesiastes 11:4 tell us?
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
In other words, if you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. What will it take for you to make that important change you’ve been putting off? All the good intentions in the world will not make any difference. The cure for laziness is: spotlight areas of laziness, seek God’s forgiveness, select only one area, and start doing better today.