When I woke up this morning, I thought I heard the voice of God telling me that today was a do nothing day, but in reality it was my wife sharing my to-do list for the day. (LOL).
As we mature in age, does our energy level get lower or do we have a tendency to become a little lazy? Do we have to motivate ourselves to do things that once were done without hesitation or reluctance? Just maybe the comforts of life in our old age have made us a little lazy.
Do you often wonder why so many businesses or companies are advertising the need for employees? Could it be that some jobs are no longer attractive or pay enough for persons to have an interest in doing them? Do you ever think about crime and the appearance that crime is more profitable than a regular 9:00 to 5:00 job? Ephesians 4:28 tells us that thieves should stop stealing and instead work with their own hands so they have something to share with others. Whatever the case may be, laziness or the lack of interest in working should not be a factor in answering the above questions.
It breaks your heart sometimes when seeing so many young and older persons sitting around or standing around not interested in doing anything meaningful. Unfortunately, the one’s who may need to read this message will not receive it.
The Apostle Paul encourages believers in the New Testament to work so they could provide for themselves and not burden others, writing, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). That statement by Paul may sound a little harsh, but if a person is not willing to work to meet his/her needs, they fall into what may be considered the lazy person category.
Let’s be honest. All of us have probably witnessed or been in the company of lazy people. In some cases, they are always looking for short cuts or making excuses for poor work ethic. Lazy people sometimes talk a good game but do little to show for their work. Hard work has never hurt anyone and that is the message we should be sharing with this generation and the generations to come.
In the south or in the country, as some of us refer to it, lazy people were referred to as, “no good for nothing.” There was no respect or honor given or paid to a lazy person. Too often people would be working full-time jobs, or in the fields, while others sat around doing nothing. The income on some of these jobs was not lucrative, but it was enough to sustain and feed a family. Let’s face it, vacancies in the work force may not be our first choice, but we can do something until a suitable position becomes available.
There has to be a sincere appreciation for people who work full time and part-time jobs at the same time. A part-time job simply gives the impression and appearance that a person is striving to get ahead in life. There are persons who have graduated from college, but finding a job in their area of expertise has not come to fruition. May I suggest that you do something or work somewhere until the gravy train comes. The day may come when you may be able to testify as to the goodness of God because of your desire to work and your willingness to work hard.
The Bible strongly discourages laziness. Scripture tells us that consistent hard work brings about stability and reward, while laziness leads to poverty, hunger, and unfinished tasks.
Let’s face it, for everyone is not going to have a glorified job in life, but what we must encourage others to do is work hard and give the job their very best, regardless of the station in life. There are examples that I will not mention in this writing, but persons have started in low level positions and later ended up owning the business or promoted to a high- level position because they did not show signs of laziness, and they worked hard.
Regardless of who we are, if we want the comforts in life or simply a sustainable livelihood, be assured that we will have to work for it. If you are waiting around for an inheritance, rather than working for keeps, you may be disappointed in the end.
The writer of Proverbs 14:23 tells us, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
Hopefully, this message will inspire someone to go to work and others to work harder.
Just my thoughts!
Robert Earl Slade, Pastor
