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Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who lived somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia, I think, and who won the title ‘The laziest man in North America’. The man from the sponsoring company, who had put up a prize of $10,000 for the gentleman who was successful, arrived at this man’s home to present him with the prize. ‘Where’, said the man from the sponsoring company, ‘is Mr Jackson, the laziest man in the world?’
‘Oh,’ said the person at the door. ‘He is down at the bottom of the garden. You will find him there.’
And so the man went with the $10,000 cheque down to the bottom of the garden and there he found Mr Jackson lying on the grass, not moving a muscle and, although not asleep, with his eyes closed. ‘Mr Jackson,’ he said, ‘I am from the sponsoring company. The one that ran the competition for the laziest man in North America. I am pleased to inform you that you have won and I have here for you your cheque for $10,000.’
To this the man replied, without opening his eyes, ‘Roll me over and put it in my left pocket.’
I didn’t think that was much of a story – and
I am now convinced that it wasn’t, but everything is worth a try once … However, while it may seem a little far-fetched, I think most of us understand what we are talking about when we speak of laziness. The book of Proverbs is an uncomfortable book that addresses this issue, frequently labelling such individuals by the name ‘sluggard’. This term is not necessarily one that we are hoping to put on our résumé. However, it may well be that up to this point in our lives we have managed to qualify for that designation. And indeed it may be, if we are perfectly honest, that laziness is one of the besetting sins which we find ourselves facing, and so we are going to find this subject distinctly challenging. Proverbs uses very vivid pictures, and I certainly find when looking at the slothful individual it describes that I see myself very clearly in the mirror of God’s Word.
Here are some verses from Proverbs:
These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judging is not good:
Whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent’ –
peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come upon them.
An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
Do not testify against your neighbour without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
Do not say, ‘I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
I’ll pay that man back for what he did.’
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.
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.
Proverbs 24:23–34
The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!’
As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who answer discreetly.
Proverbs 26:13–16
This is uncomfortable reading, isn’t it! But this is the Word of God. If you can and haven’t done so for a while, read the whole book of Proverbs – you will find that it is a tremendous help to you. For now, though, I would like us to look more closely at this sluggard. First of all, we will take a look at his lifestyle, and then we will take a look at his vineyard. After that, I will conclude with some thoughts of application.
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2 | | THE SLUGGARD’S LIFESTYLE |
As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. | |
Proverbs 26:14
This is an amazing picture of...
