We all know how much of a pain it is to deal with lazy people and how burdensome it can be to be around them. Idleness is as much a spiritual issue as it is an economical or physiological one. God's divine call for us all is to be productive and "on the move" as He provides us with blessings and opportunities to carry out His good work.
I once heard one of our pastors say it this way: "If we aren't busy doing what God tells us to do, the devil will find something else for us to do."
If you take a look at your life today, are you being productive for God or has idleness led you to a dangerous level of laziness?
There's a place for comfort and rest, that's true. But when we get too comfortable idleness and laziness might start creeping into our lives.
Here are five ways that idleness can foul things up for us.
1. It Makes Us Miss Out on Our Purpose
From the very beginning God created man to work and be on the move. God provided Adam with the Garden of Eden not just to supply all His needs but also to keep Him busy. When we keep ourselves occupied with God's work, He promises to continue His faithful work in us.
2. We Are Deprived of the Joy of Serving Others
Work is a blessing not just to those who are served but also to those who serve. Proverbs 11:25 says, "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered."
When we choose to be lazy and idle, we are deprived of that opportunity of watering and enrichment that comes from serving others.
3. It Wastes Our God-Given Gifts and Resources
The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) tells us of one man who refused to work on resources given Him by His master and He got into trouble because of it.
Whether we're held back by excuses, fear or a wrong mindset, idleness gets us in trouble because we waste God's gracious and generous blessings that could have been used to honour Him and serve others.
4. It Ruins Our Relationships
Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:13, "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not."
Idlers would (and still do) end up becoming leeches that suck people of their energy and resources. Laziness makes us a burden to other people and thus ruins many relationships.
5. We Stop Profiting
This may seem too obvious to miss out, but we often forget that we stop profiting when we stop working. And that doesn't only apply to our careers, but even in our relationship with God and others. When we stop working for things, things stop growing. Proverbs 14:23 says, "In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty."
