The Sluggard

Introduction

Imagine the scene. It is a hot gymnasium. It is after school. One man is talking. He has a basketball in his hands. He is talking about hard work and sweat and study and he is emphasizing the need to give it all you can. This man is surrounded by 25–30 boys. Most of them will not make the team. But all of them come with a desire to play. Already the gym is starting to fill with the smell of fresh sweat and that is before any real work begins. The coach is going to find out who is serious about playing the game. That means no one will touch a basketball today except the coaches. Today is the day to run. Today is the day to work with your feet and to see how much energy can be expended. The coach is going to start today by looking at the depth of heart each player possesses. Most of the boys have been practicing their best shots. They are ready to show what they can do, but the coach wants to see who has a work ethic first.

The coach divides the boys into three sets of ten. Each group will run lines for a while or what is called ladders. The first set lines up and the drill begins. The coach notices who gives effort and who doesn’t. He notices who works hard to expend energy and who doesn’t. The first group runs; then the second; then the third and it starts all over again. The first thirty minutes of practice is spent running lines and the boys who have been trying are pretty exhausted. Now comes more conditioning work. The first practice last for two hours. No one has touched a basketball. There has been lots of running, jumping, conditioning, but no shots were taken. But the coach has learned much. He knows who wants to work and who wants to take it easy. He has watched his potential players and he has learned something about their hearts by how much they put into a basketball practice that doesn’t include touching a basketball.

Some of you have been through similar experience on the football field, track stadium, baseball or softball diamond, or soccer field. Some of you have had similar experiences at a job training or interview. And everyone of us has had this experience at home. Not the same situation, but the same test—you have had situations which tested the depth of your heart—how much you were willing to work with little reward seen. We call this discipline. It is what everyone of us goes through at some time or another in which we do what is expected, required, or demanded with little reward. We do not quit or give up because it is too difficult. We don’t make excuses. We finish what we begin. We face reality no matter how ugly and do what is necessary to complete the task. We stay focused on what needs to be done and with minimal complaint find ways to complete our task. Today we are going to look at laziness and how it destroys discipline. We will discover that maintaining our focus and completing our work honors God.

The Traits of the Lazy Person

There are several texts in Proverbs which discuss the lazy person. We will not look at all of them. We will instead center our thoughts on the text which was read for us. In these four verses there are a number of humorous and challenging images depicting the lazy person. There are four lessons to gain from these four verses.

First, the lazy person makes excuses. “There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets.” Any excuse will do when we are lazy. A lazy person who doesn’t want to work will call in sick or during the summer calls in and says there is snow on the driveway or will call in to say that their car will not start but somehow find it possible to go shopping. The lazy person can come up with some great excuses when the occasion arises.

Second, the lazy person takes no initiative. “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.” A door only functions when one pushes it. It swings back and forth but goes nowhere. The lazy person moves as little as possible. There is no initiative. The lazy person wants to do as little as possible and expends energy only when pushed and prodded. We do our children a real disservice to remind them of what their responsibilities are. We would do much more for them by punishing when they fail to meet their responsibilities.

Third, the lazy person is idle. In a real humorous image, the writer reminds us that a lazy person doesn’t have enough initiative to even feed himself. “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.” The lazy person can’t even pick up his food. The author wants us to have an image which sticks with us. We have a similar thought in our culture when we speak of having to spoon feed someone. It is the idea that this person has to be told what to do and how to do it. The opposite of this then is true. There is a sense of accomplishment and confidence which comes with hard work. Teach your children to work. Allow the knowledge of having done a good job to be its own reward. Do not reward idleness. Do not indulge the lazy person.

Fourth, the lazy person is arrogant. “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.” The lazy person does no study, but he knows more than others who have spent time thinking. This is the original know it all. The lazy person has an answer for everything because that is far easier than taking the initiative to discover truth and to live by that truth.

Answers to Laziness

So what are some possible remedies for laziness. The real solution for laziness begins and ends with discipline. Throughout Proverbs we are encouraged to be disciplined; to accept discipline. In 19:15–24, the Proverbs encourage the disciplined life. Verses 15 and 24 seem to be parenthesis of the section. Beginning and ending the section with a view toward laziness, the writer instructs his son about discipline. He mentions four things which will bring reward to life and honor to God.

First, the disciplined person gives to the poor. That may seem an odd way to avoid laziness but it is a reminder that having been privileged to earn a living, we are to share what we have earned. Additionally, giving to the poor in some way is like giving to God. We do not obligate God to give to us by giving to the poor but he recognizes our generosity and doesn’t forget what we have done.

Second, the disciplined person does not bail out the undisciplined. In verses 18–19 the sentiment of both verses expresses the importance of allowing irresponsible behavior to have its just rewards. Disciplining our children keeps them from death. In the same way the person who does not control his anger needs to suffer the consequences of undisciplined anger. In both instances the idea is that lessons learned from irresponsible behavior are not easily forgotten nor is irresponsible behavior as quickly repeated when we are allowed to suffer consequences.

Third, the disciplined person listens to the wise counsel of others. Just as the lazy person is arrogant so the disciplined person is humble. The disciplined person listens to the good advice of others and is ready to act on such advice.

Fourth, the disciplined person reveres God and lives his life for him. Just as we have stressed throughout this study, so too, fear of the Lord leads to life. Not only is one wise who reveres God but so one lives a disciplined life in his reverence for God. The disciplined person recognizes God’s instructions and obeys him. This brings great contentment.

Conclusion

There is a principle of life which comes through in the Proverbs in relationship to the lazy and disciplined person. In this life, man builds and nature tries to tear it down. You can see that truth in any building. Build a bridge and within a brief time signs of rust and aging appear. Build a house and shortly thereafter it begins to need attention and maintenance. The same thing of the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm.

If we do not use what God has given to us then we will lose it. Laziness is the path of least resistence and such a path leads to destruction. God calls us to a disciplined life; a life which is focused and intent on finishing the task given to us. We finish what we started; we face reality no matter how ugly and difficult it may be and we remain focused. These are the marks of a disciplined person.

Notice the life of Jesus. He finished at the cross what he started at birth. He faced the reality of death even though it was ugly and difficult. He remained focused through to the end. Have you given your life to him who demonstrated great discipline?

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