I am a lazy person. Some of you reading this might be thinking, yeah right! But, I really am, ask my mom! It takes a ton of discipline to get things accomplished. Why? Because I would rather be doing something else. But, the Lord has been convicting me so this morning I did a search for the word “lazy” over at BibleGateway.com (great site!). 14 of the 16 verses were found in Proverbs, so I focused my attention there. (By the way all of these came from the New King James version, unless otherwise stated:) So, let’s look at some of them, shall we? (Like you have a choice:)
Proverbs 10:26
As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
Hmm.. sounds like the lazy man (or woman) is annoying, irritating, and sometimes even painful.
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be put into forced labor…4 kiddos and husband is quite enough thank you!
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.
Okay, this one got me a little bit. He can go hunting, but them not even eat what he kills. I mean come on! Oh, wait a minute, that sounds familiar. Is that anything like cooking up a whirlwind, and it being your favorite part of the day, but leaving the dishes in the sink until…whenever…hmmm moving on!
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
I think we all know people like this, people with big plans and big dreams, and no follow through.
Proverbs 15:19
The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway.
The way, the path, the life of a lazy man is full of pain, and slow, if any progress.
Proverbs 19:24
A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
Ok, I have never been that lazy ya’ll! But, I won’t clean the bowl when it’s empty….well, I will, eventually…
Proverbs 20:4
The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
Ok, don’t think so much “winter” here as much as “the right season”. He refuses to prepare a crop, so he has no harvest. Think the grasshopper and the ant.
Proverbs 21:25-26
The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.
Hmmm…
Proverbs 22:13
The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”
So, the lazy man is also a liar. He fabricates reason why he cannot go out and work.
Proverbs 26:13
The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”
Now, if there is one thing I know, it is when you read the same thing more than once in Scripture, you need to pay attention!
Proverbs 26:14
As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.
I have read this verse many times in my life, but I had a new thought about it this morning. A door turning on it’s hinges, back and forth, kind of like tossing and turning, no? A new thought entered my mind, could it be that he is restless, unhappy, unfulfilled? Something to think about.
Proverbs 26:15-16
The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
This one again! But now, it is joined with the next verse. He is wiser in his own eyes than others who do answer sensibly. He thinks he is so smart, it doesn’t matter if everyone else says the sky is blue, it’s definitely purple.
So, let me see if I can sum this up. A lazy person is annoying, irritating, painful to those around them, will eventually become a slave, is not diligent, and therefore lacks finiacial resources, has false hopes and dreams, their life is full of pain and little or no progress, won’t even feed themselves, won’t prepare for the future and because of that will starve, he is covetous, he is a liar, he is unfullfilled, and he thinks he is the smartest person on earth.
I am beginning to think that I don’t want anything to do with being lazy. So, that is my challenge for myself this morning. Now, to just figure out how to do that……