Day 151, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Proverbs 19–21
To Work or Not to Work?
In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon has much to say about laziness versus a good work ethic; he contrasts them throughout the book. In today’s Bible reading, many Proverbs bear little similarity with each other, except for this jewel about the value of work.
Lazy people
Some people cannot work. A lazy person, however, is healthy enough and has opportunities but chooses not to work. Solomon addresses that person, “Go to the ant, you sluggard [a lazy, lethargic person]; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-7 NIV).
An ant is self-motivated. Are we, or do we need someone to drag us out of bed every morning and prod us to get to work?
Another busy insect is the bee. We may have heard the expression, “Busy as a bee.” Bees are always busy providing for their nest, their home. Are we?
Or are we couch potatoes? A couch potato is one who sits or lies down in front of a television, video game set, computer, or social media device and does nothing but entertain himself for long hours. He ignores his responsibilities. A couch potato is a sluggard.
Solomon describes the sluggard:
I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
[Likewise, we can guess when a sluggard lives in our neighborhood. His appearance is scruffy, he wears old unwashed clothes, the grass in his yard is a foot long, and the house needs a lot of paint and repair. We might think of Lafe Crick in his appearances in the Beverly HillBillies sitcoms when we think of a sluggard].
I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
“As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” (Proverbs 26:14, NIV). Do we get up when it is time to get up or do we ignore our responsibilities and use excuses to stay in bed?
“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth” (Proverbs 26:15, NIV). This expression is a poetic exaggeration (a hyperbole), but we get the point.
“The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion outside!’ or, ‘I will be murdered in the streets!’” (Proverbs 22:13, NIV) A sluggard may contrive wild excuses so he will not have to get off his bed or couch and do something. Do we do that?
“The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly” (Proverbs 26:16, NIV). He grows proud because he has a lot of time to think and figure out what everyone else should do. The severest critics are those who are just observers from the stands or their armchairs. Experience from work, however, is a great teacher. We have enough armchair quarterbacks. We need people to get off the couch and into the game!
The Value of Work
Not all work is pleasant, but it is usually profitable. God gives each of us responsibilities, and it is his design for us to spend a reasonable time working (if possible), either at home or outside the home. God has assigned six days for us to accomplish our work (Exodus 20:9) and then to rest.
If we are cash poor, we must ask ourselves if it’s our fault. Have we prayed for opportunities to work and then sought them out, or are we looking for our government or someone else to bail us out? We will feel much better about ourselves if we work.
Work helps us provide for our families. Work uses our muscles and exercises our brains (which television or social media seldom do). It provides us with opportunities for new experiences, social interaction, and rewards for our labor (Proverbs 12:24,27; 13:4).
Assigning a task to a sluggard is said to be as irritating “as vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes” (Proverbs 10:26, NIV). We cannot count on a lazy person to complete a task; he will make excuses and not do it at all or will not do it well. We should not rely on him for anything.
“The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway” (Proverbs 15:19 NIV). The diligent usually have fewer problems getting what they want in life because they work for it, while the sluggard is stuck where he is. So what do we want—a hard life from slothfulness or a life of blessings from diligence and work?
See more on my blog post entitled,
3 time management tips to make you more effective
End Note: In Proverbs 24:34, NIV both figures of speech denote a sudden loss.
Discussion
What is a sluggard, and what are his characteristics?
How would we explain the value of work to a young adult?
Focus Verse
Proverbs 10:4 (NIV) “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:
Please send your comments to me, Rod (the author)
Looking Ahead: We all want hope in our lives, the confidence that we are going to succeed in the future. It is more than a simple wish—we desire to live in such a way that gives us success. How can we do that? What is the Key that opens the door to Hope? Join us for our Next Lesson.
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