Laziness is a trait that we often consider small and something so easy to change. Sadly, the reality about it is that laziness can cause us enormous damage, and unless we decide by the grace of God not to be lazy, we will all fall victims to its dangers.
To help us understand how serious a matter laziness is and to motivate us not to be lazy, here are some of the dangers posed by laziness – according to the Bible.
1. Laziness brings about poverty
If we want to eat good food and live in a decent home, with comfortable clothing and the added extravagance of continued Internet connection on our mobile phones, then we can't afford to be lazy.
Laziness brings about poverty in our lives. I've seen and heard about stories of people losing the wealth they inherited from their parents simply because they enjoyed the good life and despised the value of hard work and saving what they have. Sadly, the years of labor spent by their deceased parents just to save up for them were rendered useless in just a short time.
Proverbs 10:4-5 tells us: "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame."
2. Laziness can cause us to lose our jobs
Do you want to have a decent job – and stay long in it? Then don't be lazy. Laziness is a trait that no employer or boss would want his workers to have. Proverbs 10:26 perfectly explains this:
"Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes."
3. Laziness deprives us of our right to eat
That's a strong one. Honestly speaking, if you had an employee who is lazy in his job but demands to get paid extravagantly, would you grant his demand? Most likely not. In the same way, if we are lazy, we don't get the right to demand to be fed well – unless we're really sick and unable to work.
Paul spoke of this in 2 Thessalonians 3:10: "Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: 'Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.'"
Proverbs 10:3 also tells us: "The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but He thwarts the craving of the wicked."
