Lazybones

Paul Railton of Consett, England, was fined and barred from driving for six months after a cyclist witnessed him “walking” his dog while driving. Railton was holding the leash out of the car window as he drove slowly down the street. Though he pled guilty to the charge of “not being in proper control of a vehicle,” the real crime was laziness.

Laziness can denote either inactivity or sluggishness in the performance of a task. wrote, Words like “apathy,” “idleness,” “indifference,” and “lethargy” are often associated with being lazy. A lazy person lives by the saying, “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow.” He cuts corners and looks for the easy way out.

A lazy person asks someone else to change the channel, walks by an overflowing trash can without emptying it, drinks straight from the milk carton, daydreams with a deadline approaching, doesn’t flush the toilet, never uses a blinker, and hides from the boss. He walks a dog while driving.

The Bible has a lot to say about lazy people, especially in the book of Proverbs: “Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes” (10:26). “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper” (13:4). “A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway” (15:19). “Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth” (19:24). “Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest” (20:4). “Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work” (21:25). “As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed” (26:14).

The above verses describe the lazy person as an aggravating and unmotivated drain on society. He will rust out long before he wears out. This is the opposite of what God expects from Christians. We are to be energetic and hardworking people (Col. 3:22-24) who use our time wisely (Col. 4:5). In fact, Christians who were unwilling to work were disciplined in the early church. Paul wrote, “Keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness… have nothing to do with him” (2 Thess. 3:6, 14). He also said that those who refuse to work “should not eat” (v. 10) and that a man who does not provide for his family is “worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). This emphasizes just how important it is for Christians to have a strong work ethic.

I will conclude with a few more words from the book of Proverbs: “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber” (6:6-11). Amen!