Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

This verse is so deeply convicting to those of us who are slothful and lazy. This kind of attitude has apparently enslaved a lot of people, and the bible clearly speaks negatively about it.

The Awesome Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

This literally refers to many people in our society today in terms of the way we handle our groceries and household chores. Our effort directly reflects our level of laziness. For example, the neatness of our room, house, vehicles etc. There is no excuse not to keep these items clean on a regular basis because they are all gifts from God. How we manage these items and stuffs somehow tells God how we honor Him.

In order to conquer our laziness, we can always benchmark our friends or other people’s standards of cleanliness against ours. When we visit their houses, or they visit ours, we can instantly know if our standards of cleanliness are up to par.

Secondly, self-introspection is really important. This is simply because our body is no longer ours, as they are the temple of the Holy Ghost and they belong to God! This is clearly be found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

The Lurid Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

The verse clearly separates the lazy people from the diligent ones. It is straightforward to know if we are being lazy or not. If our daily path is constantly afflicted and somehow filled with unnecessary struggles, then we know that usually, it is because our walk is not right with God, which may include laziness.

A righteous person will see all the tight schedule and heavy workload as something normal and take reality at its face. Whereas a lazy person will constantly look for excuses avoid those responsibilities, and then fall behind.

The Lavish Lazy Oath 

Proverbs 18:9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 

Another way to know if we are lazy is by assessing the way we waste time and money. For instance, if we choose to constantly eat out, or are wasteful with food, that is a clear sign of laziness as well. Are we being wise in the way we spend our time and money?

Let’s not forget that those are God’s assets and not ours. If we want to be blessed with more of those from God, God will constantly examine us if we are capable of managing them. This is also mentioned in Luke 19 on how the servants managed the funds given to them.

Surprisingly, sitting at home, doing nothing, and not using our time wisely for God is equal to a sin of a person gambling all day long at the casino or drinks excessively at the pub. It does not matter what the activities are, it is the time that goes to waste that counts.

Replacing our time to read the bible, do our prayers, attending church with something worldly is also considered a waste of time.

The Lethargic Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 

Sleeping far longer than we are supposed to, or to the extent of skipping meals can also be considered laziness. The rationale from a health perspective could be because that laziness has caused some of us to engage in less physical activities, therefore not getting enough oxygen for our body, and that makes us more tired. This can actually turn into a vicious cycle.

The fact is that everyone is struggling to keep up with life sometimes. Some people take it as it is and not make excuses out of that situation. Let’s not be one of those people who allow our circumstances to be in control. Rather, pray hard and learn to take control of our circumstances, because ultimately God is the one in full control. If we have the heart to do what is right and want to manage our time and tasks well, we can do it through God.

The Laidback Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 19:24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Mentioned twice by King Solomon, Proverbs 19:24 cf Proverbs 26:15 apply to many people who complain about being poor, yet simply do not want to make the effort to get out of their current situation.

Staying too long in our comfort zone is a sign of laziness. In the Christian life that we live in, we are expected to endure suffering and discomfort, we should embrace and not avoid it.

God expects us to be His soldiers, not sloths, so let’s not disappoint Him.

The Longing Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

It means that even lazy people have a strong desire to achieve something in life. It’s just that they are often stuck in a rut, and are not willing to make the move due to their laziness. All they ever do is to covet and nothing else. The more they covet, the more it becomes an unchangeable habit, which will determine their future.

The Lying Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 22:13 and Proverbs 26:13 describe those of us who when in situations that we are not familiar or comfortable with, we may go about to deceive ourselves, or sometimes even lie to ourselves to avoid the discomfort and pain. If we come to realize that everyone is going through some challenges in life, we should know that nobody is exempted. So let’s not overdramatize our own situation, just get used to it and overcome it with strength and patience.

Stop concentrating on the problems and lying to ourselves, we simply need to focus on the word of God, and how many resources and talents He has given us to overcome our problems.

The Lying Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 24:30,33-34 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 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.

These verses indicate that how little dust can accumulate day by day to become a big pile of dirt and muck. The same goes for our laziness, it always begins with compromising, and little by little it quickly turns into a bad habit, and then a lifestyle!

It is so easy to lose track of time if we allow ourselves to continue to spiral down into laziness, so to avoid that, simply avoid building up bad habits, rather replace them with constructive ones.

The Lagging Lazy Oaf

Proverbs 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

This verse refers to people who are considered lazy because of their fear of making mistakes; the one factor that simply holds them back from progressing in life.

We need to remember that learning does come through making mistakes because our body and mind remember the mistakes more and tend not to repeat it for the second time.

So in order to conquer our laziness, simply get active! For example, a simple act to counter our laziness is to get on our knees and start praying first thing in the morning. It helps to boost our energy and physical system.

Put God first and consequently, the capacity of our laziness will shrink.

In summary, laziness does not just simply mean lying down in bed for 12 hours a day. Anything that we are not putting our effort into achieving, or stepping out of our comfort zone is considered laziness, and that is also a sin in God’s eyes.

Don’t ever let laziness be the sole reason for robbing our riches and rewards away from us when we face the Judgment Seat of Christ. Let’s do more for God starting from today, and get rid of our laziness.