laziness

I am sure we have all felt a streak of laziness from one time to another. Proverbs six has an interesting and stern take on laziness.

If the lazy man will observe the work habit, self-discipline, and foresight of the ant, he will be productive. Proverbs 6 might be enlightened when we recall one of the boundaries that God set in creation in Genesis 1. If you remember the creation account, God told man that he was to rule over the animals (1:28). Yet, Adam and Eve made the mistake of letting an animal tell them what to do. Rather than ruling the animals, the lazy man must look to the animals for instruction. This is a reversal of created order. Could it be that laziness is a violation of created order? If so, it is bound to produce chaos. Proverbs 6 reveals that the lazy man will encounter chaos in the form of poverty. Usually the Lord has a special place in his heart for the needy, but not in this case.

It is becoming more and more common for Christians to seek evangelism by helping the poor. However, our American poverty is not like the poverty of ancient times. In our American culture, there is ample opportunity for a person to receive assistance, education, and to make something of themselves. We live on the assumption that the poor can't help being poor. But Proverbs tells us something different. I believe the lazy man of Proverbs is more of an indication of the type of poverty we have in America. Some people are poor by choice! If that is their attitude about life, how likely are they to reform their minds and obey the teachings of Christ? Perhaps we need to reconsider our premise when evangelizing through need based programs. The need may not be food, clothing, or shelter; there may be a need of effort!