Memorise: For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 2nd Thessalonians 3:10
Read: Proverbs 6:4-11(KJV)
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Open heavens for today
Bible in one year: Acts 14-15, Isaiah 49:1-12, Hymnal: Sing hymn 5
Message:-
Laziness can be defined as the attitude of being unwilling to work or dissipate energy in the pursuit of a goal.
It can also be viewed as the attribute of an idle, slow or sluggish person. The Bible describes some characteristics of a lazy person which are important for us to consider today. As revealed in Proverbs 6:9, the first notable characteristic of a lazy person is the love of sleep. Lazy people find it convenient to spend the better part of the day sleeping, and when they finally get out of bed, they do as little work as possible. Proverbs 6:10-11 cites excessive sleep as the source of a lazy man’s poverty, saying:
“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.”
Lazy people generally lack initiative. They won’t do any work unless they are forced, and they can’t work without supervision. For such people, when their supervisor is away, they resume late at work and leave before the normal closing hours. They always work at the minimum level, and have mastered the art of making excuses to avoid work. Whenever you question lazy people about their work ethics, they usually have much to offer in the form of excuses. Lazy people are more often than not out in search of easy money. They hope to get rich with minimal effort, and so they are constantly seeking for ways to circumvent God’s way of making money through diligence and hard work. Lazy people are dreamers who nurse hopes of a bailout by government, family or friends, even before starting any venture.
A lazy person is highly destructive in nature. He is a waster and a poor manger of material, financial and human resources. A lazy person usually ends up destroying precious things such as time, income, opportunities, marriage and family relationships. Because of this, lazy people are bound to suffer many regrets later in life. They will be forced to think of their unfulfilled ambitions, wasted opportunities and unsatisfied desires. They will crave things that they no longer have the means of getting. A lazy man usually ends up being ridiculed in his family and disgraced in the community.
Point
God disciplines lazy people by allowing them to experience the consequences of their foolishness, with the hope that they will learn wisdom through their poverty. These are just a few of the severe consequences reserved for lazy people. May the Lord deliver the Body of Christ and our nations from idleness and laziness in Jesus’ Name.
Action Point
Examine yourself to see if you possess any of the attributes of a lazy person and quickly adjust your life.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
Post a Comment