The Curse of Laziness

Happy Sunday. Today we will look at a section of Proverbs that's very wellnown. Let me read to you verses 6 to 11 from chapter 6. Go to the ant you lazy bones.

Consider its ways and be wise. Without having any chief or officer or ruler, it prepares its food in summer and gathers its sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, oh lazy bones? When will you rise from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber and want like an armed warrior. I think that must have been one of my father's favorite scriptures. I'm the youngest of five and we all have our own stories. When we got to a certain age, we were expected to get a job, at least one job.

I was maybe 13 when daddy found a job for me working at a laundromat, sweeping floors and cleaning lint out of dryers and filling up the soap machine. I didn't make much money, but I learned an important lesson. Working is a part of life. Sadly, some never learned this lesson in our society.

Today, there are too many able-bodied people who simply do not and will not work. It's not a new problem. In the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 3, Paul says this about work. He says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Stay away from all believers who live idol lives and don't follow the tradition that they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idol when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it.

We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command. And here's the command.

Those who are unwilling to work will not get to eat. Let me repeat that. Those who will not work will not eat. Paul continues, "Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work, and meddling in other people's business.

We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living." These words, "Those who are unwilling to work will not get to eat," have caused quite a stir over the years. In context, Paul is talking about misguided Christians that were able-bodied. Yet, they thought that Christ was about to return and they just chose to stop working and to just wait and to just get in everybody's business.

Now, of course, we are to help those who cannot help themselves. In Matthew 25, we're told that it's wonderful that we help feed and we help clothe and we help shelter people. I don't want to get sidetracked here. Work is a discipline that should be celebrated.

In Proverbs 6, the ant is used as an example of a self-starter. Remember those words, consider its ways and be wise without having any chief or officer or ruler. It prepares its food in summer and gathers its sustenance in harvest. People should be this wise to plan ahead and work.

years ago, I was a pastor of a small church in Mississippi. And during the week, I painted and did carpentry work. I was very busy working. And one day, I ran into an old carpenter at Van Landingham Lumber Company in Starkville, Mississippi.

We were in the parking lot and if it was still standing there, the building's long gone, but if it was still there, I could show you within a few feet where I was standing. The encounter left such an impression on me. I was talking to the older man and I was complaining a bit about how busy I was and all the work that I had to do. And he stopped me and said, "Son, you had better make hay while the sun shines.

You better make hay while the sun shines." It was his polite way to tell me to shut up and to be thankful for the work that I had. I had an attitude adjustment that day, 50 plus years ago now. Proverbs 6 talks about the lazy bones.

Other versions use an old word that we really don't use anymore. The word is sluggarded. Maybe your version says slugard instead of lazy bones. Slugard is a found is found a few times in scripture.

And this is a great example uh describing a slugard in Proverbs 20:4. It says there, "Slugards do not plow in season. So at harvest time they look but find nothing." They don't plow.

They don't plant. They don't eat. If work is not done, there is no harvest. And society suffers.

Marriages fall apart. Laziness ruins family. The older I get, the more I thank God that my daddy sent me to work early. I've never been hungry.

I've always had a roof over my head. And I've always worked. Go to the end, consider its ways, and be wise. Pray with me.

Lord, thank you for the people that make a difference. Thank you for those that get out there and do so much. Thank you for church workers that help improve our lives and during the storms, people working on the roads and making us safe. And I think of so many.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to work. Let us never complain in Jesus name. Amen. God bless.

Have the best week.