Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest” — Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:6-11).
Of all the Bible passages, I remember my grandmother most often quoting, “A little sleep, a little slumber….”
She was squarely against laziness of any variety and could work rings around people half her age until she was well into her 80s.
Work is good. It is a gift from the Lord and often a source of fulfillment, refining, and growth that we all need. While work is good and laziness is to be avoided, it is good to have a clear balance between the two.
Laziness is just as much a thief as being obsessed with work. In fact, Scripture more often commands God’s children to rest than to avoid laziness.
So, let’s understand what God considers as laziness to make sure we are on the same page. Laziness is defined in these five ways.
1. Delaying Doing Something
The word lazy in Hebrew in the Proverbs 6 passage, according to NASB Lockman’s Key Word Bible with Strong’s Concordance, is עָצֵל atsel; from another word that means delay; it is also translated as sluggish, lazy.
The notion of delay as part of the meaning is significant. We can ask ourselves if we do things the moment they come to our attention, or do we delay doing them?
Sometimes, life requires that we stay focused and finish one task before getting to another, but that is different than putting something off for no reason. If you can do something now, it is frequently the right time to do it, especially when it involves blessing someone!
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you (Proverbs 3:27-28).
2. Making Excuses to Not Do Something
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” (Proverbs 22:13).
While it is possible there really was a lion in town; it is far more likely that the writer of this Proverbs is saying lazy people make lame or untruthful excuses for not meeting obligations.
We can ask ourselves if we have made excuses for not doing things that might be similarly ludicrous.
We might also ask ourselves if there is something that we keep having to make excuses for (like a particular project that keeps getting shuffled to the back burner because of interruptions) and tackle it before our regular responsibilities just to go the extra mile to protect our hearts from the trappings of sluggishness.
3. Loving Rest More Than Responsibility
The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing (Proverbs 20:4).
How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest” — Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:9-11).
God wired us to need one another. He entrusted all of us with unique responsibilities to each other. When we love rest or entertainment more than our responsibilities, that might be a red flag that we are fostering some laziness in our hearts.
Scripturally, the sluggard does not take care of his fields or vineyards entrusted to him. Instead, sleep has him cocooned in a web of choices that ultimately lead to his ruin.
However, we can easily imagine how this concept extends beyond the pages of Scripture and into our daily experience. Maybe we have known someone who has loved their hobbies or “me time” to the point of depriving the ones who depend on them.
It hurts when people love their own interests over taking care of those who need them; the relationships God designed for them to tend just as diligently as a vineyard or field.
4. Self-Destructive Behavior
The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back (Proverbs 25:21-16).
Laziness, while initially appearing to soothe the need/desire to rest, ends up holding individuals captive to self-destructive behavior. Sluggishness gives birth to an unsatisfiable heart, always craving for more and more.
Scripture also describes the life of a lazy person as being a hedge of thorns that holds him back rather than the way the righteous person’s choices create a smooth path before him.
Most of us have experienced the pang of procrastination. If delaying your responsibilities has a note of truth in your life, take some time to pray to the Lord about it.
There are all kinds of reasons we get stuck in ruts that hurt us, but God has the truth that promises to set us free (John 8:32).
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer (Proverbs 26:16).
Laziness also has the power to blind us to truth and wisdom. Sadly, someone who has fostered laziness in their heart will be blinded to the wisdom that might help them grow.
Whether sluggish attitudes have made the individual poor, made them crave without the ability to be satisfied, hemmed them in with a hedge of thorns, or made them so arrogant they think they know everything; laziness harms the person who makes room for it in their heart.
5. Odious to Those Who Know You
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him (Proverbs 10:26).
Laziness is not a trait that will draw people to you. It won’t brighten your testimony for Jesus in a dark world that needs Him. It won’t bless the people around you.
In fact, Scripture describes laziness as doing the very opposite! Scripture describes a lazy person similarly to how we might describe nails on a chalkboard.
So often, we think of sin (which comes from a word that means missing the target, like on a bullseye) as something very black and white, clear cut, good and evil. Yet Scripture describes a variety of character traits, thought patterns, and emotional responses that miss the target.
My young son calls “sinful” choices “sin-ly” because the opposite of sinful choices is “godly.” Makes sense to me! And perhaps thinking of it with a new word is helpful.
Laziness is a “sin-ly” choice. And it can be a slippery slope that gets us stuck in a rut or pit of quicksand that ends up harming our lives and those around us.
May God’s wisdom guard your heart against the seeds of laziness, and may you find His strength and grace for the facets of life that might be stuck in a rut of procrastination or delay.
For further reading:
What Is the Parable of the Talents?
What Are Stewards in the Bible? Meaning and Importance of Stewardship
Why Laziness Is a Sin and 5 Ways We Can Flee from It
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Viktoria Korobova
April Motl is a pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, and women’s ministry director. When she’s not waist-deep in the joys and jobs of motherhood, being a wife, and serving at church, she writes and teaches for women. You can find more encouraging resources from April here and here.
