Monday, February 10, 2014

Pastor's Ponderings, February 10, 2014

Laziness

Robert Heinlein, a popular and influential author of science fiction, in the book, Time Enough for Love wrote, “Progress doesn't come from early risers— progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.”  Another person wrote, “Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.” There is something very gratifying about the lazy days and lazy ways.  These are times when one has nothing to do and all of the day to do it. 

However, the Bible calls lazy people sluggards and it is clear that God is not pleased with them.  In a passage in Proverbs, the author concludes that because of laziness, poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:34 NIV).”  Moreover, in the Parable of the Talents, a man is very pleased with how his industrious servants had increased his money and rewards them with more authority, but tells his other servants to punish the servant who simply hid the man’s money in the ground and refused to work to invest it (Matthew 25:14-30).  

It is easy to take the lazy way or the easy way.  But I believe that God is calling for people to be industrious and accomplish His goals during our lifetime.  The Bible says diligent people shall serve kings (Proverbs 22:29).  “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor (Proverbs 12:24 NIV).”

It is really important that we daily dedicate ourselves to diligently doing what God has called us to do this year because a sluggard’s appetite is never filled and God wants His children to be fully satisfied (Proverbs 13:4). Let us aim to be fully satisfied today.

Please comment below and share how you have made a decision to follow His direction diligently and were blessed when you could have been lazy, and encourage others to be diligent about Gods direction in their life.

Proverbs 24:30-34
New International Version (NIV)
30 I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 13:4
New International Version (NIV)
4 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.





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