From the Newsletter of Bomet Africa Gospel Unity Church,

P. 0. Box 33, Tel. 220-49 Bomet, Kenya

Email - aguc@africaonline.co.ke

Proverbs 19:15

LAZINESS IS NOT FOR A CHRISTIAN. Whenever we wake up each morning, we have a plan in our minds as to how we are going to fulfill the duties of the day. We put our hands to work to earn a living. We also spend set times in the worship of God or teaching and learning His Word. When we consider the importance of our daily responsibilities, there will be no room for laziness. As a church also, we set goals, both long-term and short-term. When the set time is fulfilled we evaluate our performance. We make corrections where we have failed and learn from these so future labors are more fruitful and productive.

As much as corporate work involves a number of  people, the tendency to postpone a responsibility is always there and laziness begins there. The Bible portrays laziness negatively and also in practice its consequences speaks of its effects.

The Book of Proverbs speaks at length of this subject and also elsewhere in the Bible. Fearful imagination is one of the causes of laziness. Solomon observes "the slothful man saith, there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets." (Prov. 22:13) The presence of wild animals has been used to frighten children who are naughty and it is also true that these animals sometimes get out of the game park and attack nearby residents. These experiences give a good excuse to a lazy person not to venture out for anything. The attack of a lion is real in places where they inhabit, but our primitive herdsmen were not afraid of them. They always carried spears and were ready to  defend their herds whenever they were threatened by wild animals. They had the determination to protect their livestock and not give in to fearful imaginations.

When a person is inhabited by a slothful attitude, his desires will kill him - that is, he gains nothing out of his manner of life. He will restrain his hands from labor. It is sad, for example, in our country that workers always ask for higher wages, but do not work at all. When you visit any government  office you will find many idle desks. Some read newspapers the whole day and are slow to render their services whenever they are required. So two years ago they were asked to write reasons why they should continue in employment. Those who could not give sufficient reasons were retrenched. It is a universal truth that when our hands refuse to labor we die. What makes us desist from profitable labor is indifference in attitude. A story is told in the Book of Judges of the Tribe of Dan who had gone to spy the city of Laish in Northern Israel. When the spies came back and gave their report, they desired that their brethren would have courage in venturing to capture the land. As this was not a small undertaking they did not need lazy people but courageous ones. They said "arise that we may go up against them.: for we have seen the land, and behold it is very good: and are ye still? Be not slothful to go, and enter to possess the land." (Judges 18:9).

Though these people did not have the Lord's mandate in doing this, the fact is that they had a goal and the only way to achieve it was not by an indifferent attitude and laziness, but by a whole-hearted desire and courage to accomplish what they intended to fulfill. We cannot expect to achieve anything by sitting idle. Solomon again has this observation: "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." (Proverbs 19:15). While we pray to God to supply our needs, it is also common sense that He will not place ready cooked food on our tables or even provide in the form of manna as He did for Israel. He will do for us the things we are not able to do for ourselves and these become means of our provision. So when He provides rain and good soil it is our duty to  plough, plant, weed and harvest so that we have our food. The labor needed will not be accomplished without much sweat and even wisdom in planning what to plant and where.

A lazy person will not do this and will always be hungry or begging. Sleep is very needful for our good health, but when it is excessive it robs you of time to work. It is therefore necessary to exercise some discipline towards our sleeping habits. The wise king again has a comment on this. He said; "How long will thou sleep oh sluggard? When will thou arise out of thy sleep? 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" (Proverbs 6:9). The best way to  overcome a excessive sleeping habit is by planning one's time well so that we have enough time to sleep and be up when the clock chimes.

The consequences of laziness need not be told: they speak for themselves. Proverbs says it brings hunger. We labor to have our food, and only the disabled can have good reason to depend on others. But even these also need to make use of their abilities to achieve something. In prison for example, the inmates are compelled to work all day, and all this without pay. Most of the inmates have been jailed for stealing but would have earned enough so that they need not have stolen if they had worked. Those who learn their lesson will not go back to prison but the lazy ones will find themselves trapped again. Hunger and poverty are twins. Proverbs again says a lazy person will give reasons not working and when the neighbors are harvesting, he is begging. Laziness is poverty and hard work is wealth. Solomon also observes that "He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster" (Proverbs 18:9). Laziness produces wasters and causes decay. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives the example of house maintenance. When a building is not maintained it decays and finally drops. An English saying goes, "A stitch in time saves nine." This is to say that we are to act promptly and not to lazy around when we ought to be active. Solomon commends the hard working, saying "the hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be under tribute." and added, "the slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting; but the substance of a diligent man is precious" (Proverbs 12:24, 27).

Our Lord Jesus Christ in the parable of the talents commended the two servants who traded with their talents and gained more. However, the lazy one who did not use his talent was condemned and his talent is taken away from him. In the light of this parable we learn that the best way to overcome laziness is doing its opposite, faithfulness.  In Hebrews 6:11 - 12 we have this admonition "and we desire that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Faithfulness is an antidote to laziness. Faithfulness on our part is dictated by our attitude towards duty. We are to be inhabited by a fervent spirit. This is also one of the things Paul exhorts the Roman Christians to have, saying "not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11).

Another antidote is making the most of our time. Whenever you travel to many market places in yyour locality here, mostly in the afternoon you will find a group of gentlemen, young and old, sitting under some shade and just talking for hours and hours aimlessly. It is a waste of time and nothing comes out of this idle talk. We have a scriptural imperative against this "see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil" (Proverbs 5:15 - 16).

The Apostle said "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all but are busybodies. Now that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."

Laziness is overcome by identifying its causes and having an awareness of its consequences. The best antidote to it is to have oneself occupied all the time with some meaningful work, for it is true as the saying goes; "an idle mind is the devil's workshop."

This lesson appeals to all people universally because it is practical and it is more so for Christians. Laziness leads to stealing and other sins and this separates us from God. So one of the identifying marks of a Christian is hard work. This comes when you have a true serving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Michael Koech is the acting Principal of Faith College, and also Principal of Bomet Bible School.

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