Is slothfulness hurting you?
Slothfulness has affected us in one way or another, but it is crucial to remember that it can cause eternal damage if we don’t take positive action as Christians to stop it.
In this post, we shall cover what slothfulness means, some of the signs to note in the life of a lazy man, and the way out of sluggishness.
According to Webster, the word slothful implies a temperamental inability to act promptly or speedily when action or speed is required.
What Does the Bible Say About a Slothful Man
Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labour. Proverbs 12:24 AMP
A Lazy man doesn’t rule but is put under forced labour
unless a lazy man is under forced labour, he will do nothing. A lazy hand is a hand of forced labour.
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting. But the substance of a diligent man is precious. Proverbs 12:27
A lazy man makes his living by devious means. He keeps expecting magic while praying for wealth but will sit down and do nothing, thinking God will rain money. If He doesn’t, he keeps looking for devious ways of making wealth through gambling, fraud, and the lottery.
The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns. But the way of the righteous is made plain. Proverbs 15:19
A lazy man has his way blocked by thorns. He desires success, but he won’t work for it. He has all it takes to be great, but taking the steps to greatness becomes difficult.
Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. Proverbs 18:9ESV
He has a lot of opportunities coming his way but will waste them all.
This is nothing but a waste of resources, opportunity, money, life, and destiny. He is an assistant to destroyers. He destroys not only his own life but the lives of people God has connected to him to raise and nurture.
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. Proverbs 19:24
That is a man who pretends to lack strength. He will always appear sick so that others can do his job, pay his bills, and probably put food on his table.
He buries his hand in the dish, expecting others to feed him.
The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labour. Proverbs 21:25
An idle man always desires to be the richest among his brethren, have the biggest company, and live in the best mansion in town. He is always full of unrealistic dreams, visions, or ambitions. So, he is killed by his desire for his hands to refuse to work.
The sluggard says,” There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” Proverbs 22:13, Proverbs 26:13
He is full of excuses and complaints and is controlled by the fear of things surrounding him.
I went by the field of a slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; Proverbs 24:30
An inactive man is a man void of understanding. He lacks the strength to organize his life, work, and home.
As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man upon his bed. Proverbs 26:14AMP
A sluggard is stagnant in all his ways and is a one-way man
Signs of Slothfulness
- Opportunity waster
- Put under forced labour
- Make money by devious means
- Blockage
- He makes friends with like minds, such as gamblers, fraudsters
- A brother to great waster
- He likes to beg
- He is full of unrealistic dreams
- Full of excuses and complaint
- Void of understanding
- Controlled by fear
- A one-way man has no plan B and many more.
Prevention to indolence
- Assess yourself:
Are you satisfied with your present situation? If not, diligently examine what this has taken away from you and the effect you are facing presently. Realize you are not where you are supposed to be. Stand up, be active, and be responsible to improve your life. - Identify the causes of your slothfulness:
This is another area you should work on. Write down what is responsible for it, and avoid bad company, distraction, and fear. Deal with procrastination, and engage in things that can improve your life. - Concentration:
Decide to wake up from your slumber. You have stayed in your comfort zone enough. Decide and encourage yourself to break away from habits of laziness and find something to do. Likewise, you need to focus and concentrate on your goal, which will help you overcome every distraction the devil is bringing your way. - Embrace single-tasking:
Don’t be overwhelmed by the obstacles you will face before completing your work. One step at a time, and you will achieve your goal. Plan and prioritize your work, using a to-do list and diligently following it. - Be diligent:
Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. Proverbs 22:29 AMP. The diligence of a man will enable him to stand before kings. So, be diligent, don’t give excuses, change your mindset about your work, and be zealous, and you will see God crowning your effort. - Persistence:
Persistence is the twin sister of excellence, they say. To achieve anything in life, you mustn’t allow the difficulties you encounter to make you give up. The fact that you have failed many times doesn’t mean you should not try again.
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